And Then You
by Birdstealingbread
Summary: Bella Swan lost her parents at 9 years old and spent her childhood in and out of foster homes. Now, at 24, she's in a happy relationship with long-term boyfriend, Edward, and finally feels like she belongs somewhere. However, she receives shocking news that leaves her fearing for her future. Will she and Edward overcome these new obstacles? Or will Bella once again lose everything?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - This is my first fanfic so please leave lots of reviews ! I will try and update weekly :)**

 **Chapter 1 – Giving**

Tick tock. I can hear every tick of the clock on the wall behind me as the diner is completely empty aside from me and Felix, the cook. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he left out the back door a half hour ago. I sigh and, in an attempt to distract myself from the boredom that's threatening to overcome me, I think about my boyfriend, Edward. Every now and then we work late shifts on the same nights – me until midnight and him until 1 AM – and tonight happens to be one of those nights. Just like every other time, when my shift ends tonight I'll head over to his bar, Eclipse, and hang out until it's time to close. I'll help him close as I usually do and then spend the night at his apartment. I let my mind wander through the possibilities that tonight will bring once we're alone together but find that the anticipation building up inside of me is actually making time go by slower. Leaning on my elbows that are propped on top of the counter in front of me, I lift up the metal lid of the straw holder and remove one straw. I rip off half of the white wrapper, put the straw in my mouth, and blow the other half of the thin paper off of the straw. I turn it into a game, seeing how far I can blow the wrapper across the diner. When I put the fourth straw in my mouth the bell above the door chimes, alerting me of – most likely – someone who stumbled over from Jude's bar looking for some greasy sustenance. Instead, I look up and find Aro, the owner of the local bakery, Sugar Street Sweets.

"Hey, Aro. What're you doing in here at this ungodly hour?" I ask, not bothering to straighten up from my position. He smiles at me as he takes a seat on the shiny, red barstool in front of the counter. His black hair with streaks of gray on the sides, which is usually slicked back, is messy and sticking out in a few different directions. He sighs and scrubs his hands over his face before answering me.

"I had to stay late at the bakery to help Emmett and Jasper work on Jessica Stanley's birthday cake. I can't believe she's going to be 18 on Sunday! You know she's been working for me since she was 15 years old?" He asks, shaking his head in disbelief. Emmett and Jasper are bakers at Sugar Street Sweets and good friends of mine and Edward. Jasper happens to be dating Alice, one of my best friends as well as a fellow waitress here at Esme's Diner. Emmett is married to Rosalie, one of the bartenders at Edward's bar and Jessica Stanley is a teenager in town who works at the front counter of the bakery. I have to admit, after spending my childhood in various foster homes it's nice to live in a small town like Forks where everyone not only knows but also has a close relationship with one another.

"I know, it's crazy. I remember when you first hired Jess. She was this tiny, shy little thing and now she's so outgoing and confident. I hope she has a great 18thbirthday; she really deserves it." I remark and Aro nods his head in agreement.

"So, what can I get for you?" I question. Aro doesn't even have to look at the menu before he tells me he'll have a grilled chicken wrap with a pickle on the side. I go to the swinging door that leads to the kitchen in the back, hoping that Felix hasn't actually left and find him watching some sports game on his phone. I tell him the order and he nods at me, not bothering to look up from his phone as I turn to make my way back to the front counter.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" I ask Aro.

"I'll have a water." He smiles at me and I turn to grab a glass to fill with ice and water for him.

Before long I bring Aro's food out to him and the two of us make small talk while he eats. I tell him all about how Edward's bar is doing. I briefly think back to when he moved here almost two years ago to buy the bar, which was being foreclosed on at the time. He had always wanted to own his own business and he's really been doing an amazing job with it. Several weeks after the grand opening was when we started dating and I got an up-close look at all of the work he put into the place. He spends so much time perfecting every last detail of the bar, from the recipes they use for cocktails to the music they play all the way down to the glasses they use. His ability to hone in on the littlest things that end up being essential to the atmosphere of the bar is something I admire about him. He really puts his all into that place.

Angelo tells me all about how well things are going between him and Sulpicia – a nurse at the hospital just outside of town who he's been seeing for almost a year now – and how he's thinking about asking her to move in with him. I smile and tell him I think that's a great idea. I've known Aro since I moved here six years ago, just after I turned 18. I fell in love with the bakery and spent almost every day in it trying new pastry's – hell, I still spend most days in there. Aro had always been so nice to me, telling me all about the best places in town, the various traditions to look forward to throughout the year, and the people that I'd probably get along well with. He has a kind smile and a loud, jolly laugh that could snap you out of a bad mood in a second. If anyone deserved a successful, happy relationship it was him.

We continue on with our small talk when my phone buzzes in my back pocket. I reach behind me to grab it and unlock the home screen to see a text from Edward.

 ** _Where are you?_**

I check the time. 12:13 AM. I text back telling him I'll meet him at the bar in a few minutes and then turn to Aro and clap my hands together.

"Well, it's about that time. You don't have to go home but you got to get the heck outta here." I smile and jog over to the swinging door, peeking through the window to see Felix once again watching that sports game on his phone. I push the door open and shout "Closing time!" at him. He looks up at me and then back down at his phone, clicking out of the game to check the time and then raising his eyebrows in shock.

"Shit, thanks Bella. Have a goodnight honey, I'll see you...?"

"Monday." I reply with a smile and then wave goodnight. I jog back to the front, grab my jacket from underneath the counter, shut the lights out and walk outside into the chilly October night with Aro next to me. He insists on walking me to the bar, though we both know I have a better chance of getting struck by lightening than anything bad happening to me from walking these streets alone. I figure he probably wants to grab a beer since he's already out so I don't argue as the two of us walk the short distance from Betty's diner to The Crystal Ship in comfortable silence. When we walk into the dimly lit bar the place is pretty packed and we can hear Sympathy for the Devil playing on the speakers.

"Hey, there's my girl!" Edward shouts from behind the counter as he finishes topping off Seth's drink. I wave at Seth and he lifts his drink and nods back at me, his large smile always so inviting. Seth co-owns the furniture store in town with his husband, Jacob, and the two typically spend their Friday and Saturday nights here. Aro and I part ways, him going to greet some friends and me walking over to Seth, Jacob, and Edward.

"Hey, sorry I'm a little late hon. I lost track of time." I say as I lean over the counter and peck Edward on the lips. He smiles at me and waves a hand dismissively.

"Eh, don't worry about it. I hardly noticed."

"Yeah, right!" Jacob snorts and rolls his eyes at Edward before facing me. "At 12:01 he started wondering if you were alright, 12:02 he was asking us if he should call you, and by 12:03 he was on the verge of sending out a search party!" Jacob informs me as Seth chuckles next to him. Edward shakes his head and smirks as he cleans out a glass.

"Oh, for fucks sake." He chuckles as he turns to me, "I _briefly_ wondered aloud if you were okay. And that was only after I hadn't heard from you ten minutes past when I usually do. These guys just like to make me sound like a maniac." He explains, shaking his head.

"Well, I happen to find it sweet that you care so much." I giggle.

He winks at me, throws the towel that he was just using to clean glasses with over his shoulder, and walks to the opposite end of the bar to refill glasses. Seth and Jacob are engrossed in a private conversation so I make my way through the room to socialize and come across Alice and Jasper. I spend the next hour playing pool and having a few drinks with them as Edward occasionally stops over for a few minutes before returning to work. Around 1:00 AM the remaining few patrons start to filter out as Edward and Rosalie get ready to close up. I say good night to Alice and Jasper and then go join Edward in wiping down some of the tables. Music is playing over the speakers much lower now, almost too low to hear though I can just make out Jim Morrison's distinctive voice.

Rosalie finishes up closing the register and collecting her tips before approaching us by the tables we're cleaning. She smiles at me before addressing Edward and I return the gesture while taking in her appearance. She's sporting a light pink, leather mini skirt with a black, mesh long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black boots that come up to her knees. Her blonde hair is pulled back in a tight ponytail and her blue eyes are complimented with flawlessly applied eye shadow that matches her dark lipstick. If I ever tried to replicate her outfit or her make up I would look completely ridiculous but Rosalie is able to pull off the look effortlessly.

"Alright, boss, I'm headin' out now. I'll see you on Wednesday, right?" She questions.

"Yup. Drive safe." Edward answers and waves her goodbye.

"Always. Night Bells!" She calls to me. I wave and admire the just-visible set of wings that she has tattooed on her shoulder blades as she turns to leave. Once she's outside I put down the rag that I'm using to wipe off the last table and skip over to Edward, wrapping my arms around his neck and stretching up on my tippy-toes to kiss him. He moans in approval as my tongue glides across his lip and places his hands on the small of my back, pulling me in closer to him. Our bodies press tightly together while I continue to brush my lips against his and we stay like this for a few moments before I reluctantly pull away, giggling at his groans of protest.

"What do you think of Rosalie's back tattoo?" I ask him, thinking about my own tattoos that are etched over my body. My left arm is decorated with half a sleeve of compasses and maps, – an homage to my parents who passed away when I was much younger; my father, Charlie was a pilot and my mother, Renee was a flight attendant and they both loved to travel. On my ankle I have a smiley face, and on my right inner forearm I have a small evergreen – to represent our home state, Washington – that I got as a matching tattoo with Edward a few months ago.

"Uh, it's nice, I guess." He shrugs, pulling me out of my head.

"What if I got something like that? Not necessarily wings but something in that same spot. Maybe a flower... oh! Maybe a lotus flower! I bet that would look nice." I muse. Edward chuckles and kisses my forehead.

"I think that would look really sexy on you." He murmurs, shooting me a suggestive look. We quickly finish closing up the rest of the bar and open the door in the back that reveals a stairwell leading to Edward's apartment. Once we reach the front door we exchange a few more kisses before finally going inside where Edward closes the door and pins me up against it. I waste no time, wrapping my legs around his hips and threading my fingers through his thick, auburn hair. He carries me through the apartment to his bedroom where he lays me down gently on the bed and climbs over me. He lowers himself down to his elbows so as not to rest his weight on me and begins a trail of kisses up and down my neck. I arch my back, thrust my hips into his, and fumble with the buttons on his flannel as I attempt to remove his shirt. Finally, I get the last button undone and he breaks away from me to pull the shirt off. I move for the button and zipper on his jeans at the same time that he tugs at the hem of my shirt. We laugh together and resolve to undressing ourselves. Once we're both completely naked, Edward firmly grasps my hips and flips us so that he's laying on the bed and I'm now straddling him. I watch him as his eyes hungrily gaze up and down my body and that's all that it takes to extinguish what little patience I have left in me. I wrap my hand around him and slowly slide myself over him, gasping at the pleasure that he fills me with every time. I set a slow rhythm, thrusting my hips against him in a delightfully torturous motion before it becomes too much for him to handle. He grabs my hips and guides me into a faster pace as we moan each others names, along with a few choice expletives.

"I'm close... so close." I breathe as I rock my body against his. He moves his hand slowly from my breasts, down my stomach, and to the most sensitive part of my body, pushing me over the edge and into a mind numbing orgasm. I close my eyes tightly as I whimper his name and vaguely acknowledge his thighs tense as he finds his own release, digging his fingers into my outer thighs and cursing loudly. I collapse next to him on the bed and we both lay there for a few minutes, catching our breath. It's always like this with him, so passionate and intense, like we haven't been together in weeks when it's really been just a day or two. It's one of the things that I love so much about being with Edward.

I allow my happiness to wash over me as I delight in the sensation of making love to someone that I'm actually in love with. Before Edward I had what some might call a promiscuous love life. I never had a real, exclusive relationship with another man out of fear of getting too attached. My therapist that I've been seeing outside of town for a little over a year now, Maggie, helped me to realize that my attachment issues stemmed from a combination of the loss of my parents when I was nine years old, the separation from my sister Lauren as we were placed into different foster homes, and my being placed in different homes every few years. To this day I still don't know where my sister is. She's four years older than me so by the time I got out of foster care she was no longer in the system, making it that much harder to try and track her down. Every now and then I look her up online and try to find her that way but nothing ever comes up. When I first told Edward about my sister he suggested that I start saving up money to hire a private investigator to find her and has been contributing to his own money as well. I always tell him that he doesn't have to do that for me but he insisted. The support that he has for me is something that I will never take for granted.

I thought back to the beginning of our relationship and how different he was from every other man I had been with before him. All of the others were fine – elated, really – with my rule about not getting too close. I'd never let them take me out on dates, buy me anything, bring me home to meet their parents, or any of the other things people tend to do when they start dating somebody. They were always relieved about that. They never pushed for more and if they were ready for a more serious relationship we'd part ways without the heartbreak or stress of a break-up. Edward was different though. After he moved here in February we quickly became friends. He'd spend almost every day in the diner, something that I later learned he did so that he'd have an excuse to talk to me. We spoke about everything; where he grew up, why he moved here, his ideas for the bar, what he loved most about living in Washington. Whenever he tried to ask about me I'd usually deflect and go back to talking about him. He asked me out on a date once but I declined so instead he settled on being friends. We went hiking together and spent hours admiring snow-capped mountains, visited nature reserves, and went to Seattle occasionally with groups of friends but I continued to keep him at arms length. One night, it was just the two of us at his bar – I was helping him set up for his grand opening – when one thing led to another and we ended up sharing a heated kiss against the pool table. I stopped before anything else could come from it and left abruptly. I can still remember the fear that washed over me when I got back to my apartment and cried alone in the middle of my living room. I thought that I was being careful but I had already let myself fall for him and I knew that it was only a matter of time before he'd leave me, just like everybody else. I cried longer and harder that night than I ever had in my life, including the night that my parents died. I cried until I had nothing left and then I spent the next few weeks avoiding Edward. Finally, on a warm evening in May, he caught me leaving the diner after my shift. He confessed his love for me and told me that he could see how hesitant I was. He told me he was determined to find out why so that he could make sure I'd never feel afraid to be loved again and that he'd wait forever for me to be ready to love him in return. Before I knew what I was doing I weaved my fingers into his hair and kissed him. It was a kiss like I'd never experienced before, one filled with love, hope, and optimism. I knew in that moment that I couldn't ever be without this man.

Edward runs his fingers through my hair, pulling me out of my reverie. When I turn on my side I see that he's looking at me thoughtfully.

"Where'd you go just now?" He inquires.

"I was just thinking about that first time you told me you love me."

"You mean when I all but got down on my knees and begged you to give me a chance?" He laughs, kisses my temple, and then starts to get out of bed.

"Where are you going?" I ask him, propping myself up on my elbow.

"I'm exhausted, baby. I'm going to go get ready for bed and then I'm passing out." He explains as he pulls a pair of sweat pants out of his dresser and puts them on. I take the moment to ogle him. He's tall with broad shoulders and messy, auburn hair. He's muscular but not where it's too much, just where you can tell that he definitely works out. As much as I love his body it's his bright, green eyes that are my favorite feature of his. I swear I could spend all day getting lost in his eyes, as cheesy as that sounds.

"Like what you see, huh? I can go for round two." He jokes, raising his eyebrows up and down suggestively. I smile and roll my eyes at him as I get out of bed and head to the closet to put on one of his t-shirts. Together, we make our way to the bathroom to brush our teeth and wash our faces before going to sleep. When we lay back down in his bed we discuss our plans for the weekend. I'm going to the blood bank tomorrow to donate for the first time – something I decided to do after seeing an ad for our local blood bank posted outside of the diner. Edward will most likely go to the gym with Seth, Jasper, and Emmett and then end the day with me. On Sunday I'm volunteering to do story time for a few of the kids in town at Page Turner, the local book store. Edward says that he'll come along and then afterwards the two of us can head over to Jasper and Alice's place for dinner and a few drinks. We continue speaking about our weekend plans until we both yawn at the same time, causing Jude to chuckle and suggest we finally go to sleep. I readily agree and curl into him, my head leaning against his chest as I allow the steady beating of his heart to lull me to sleep.

I wake up in the morning feeling well-rested and warm, thanks to the large arms that are wrapped around my torso. I think about getting up and ready to go to the blood bank, wanting to get it over with so that I have more free time for the rest of the day. I try to imagine how it'll feel when they take my blood and start to feel a little nauseous. I ignore it, assuming that it's nerves and slowly peel Edward's arms away so that I can quietly get out of bed without waking him up. I head to the walk-in closet to pick out an outfit. I keep about half of my wardrobe here since we spend most nights at Edward's so finding something to wear is easy. I throw on a long dark green sweater-dress along with a pair of black tights and ankle boots. I top the outfit off with a long ball chain necklace that has a wooden heart at the end of it – a gift from Edward last Christmas – and several rings on each hand. I look myself over in the mirror. My pale face – a product of living in the pacific northwest all my life – is framed by long brown hair with loose curls on the ends and my brown eyes are looking a touch lighter than usual. The sweater-dress that I have on hugs my petite curves and the slight heel on my boots adds an inch or two to my normally short stature. Satisfied, I exit the closet and make sure to close the door quietly. When I turn to face the bed I find a pair of sleepy green eyes looking over at me.

"I didn't peg you for the type to sleep with me and then sneak out early the next morning." He says, one eyebrow cocked in amusement. I laugh at him, walk over to the edge of the bed, and kneel down so that we're face to face.

"I'm donating blood today, remember? I guess I'm a little eager to get it over with." I explain.

"You're nervous?"

"A little bit... I've never really been afraid of needles but I was feeling sort of queasy before when I started to think about it." I admit, chewing nervously on my bottom lip.

"You'll be fine, sweetheart. It goes by fast and if it freaks you out that much it's not like you have to do it." He shrugs and I smile and lean in to kiss his forehead. I don't know how he does it but he's always able to effortlessly calm my nerves. I get up and head to the bathroom to brush my teeth, hearing Edward get out of bed and follow me. When we're both through freshening up we eat breakfast together and head down the stairs to leave through the bar. Once outside we kiss quickly before turning in different directions – him towards the gym and me towards my Jeep. Vibrant red and orange leaves crunch loudly beneath my boots as I approach my vehicle. I allow myself a moment to take in the sound of the foliage beneath me as well as the beauty of this rare sunny day before stepping up into my seat and heading towards the blood bank.

The drive is about 10 minutes and when I finally get there I'm happy to see that there aren't any other donors yet. I check in at the front desk, fill out some paper work, and get a quick physical examination done. Before I know it I'm sitting in a chair with a rubber band tied around my arm and a small, squishy pink ball in my hand.

"You ever give blood before, sweetie?" The nurse questions as she gets the needle ready.

"Nope. I'm a first timer."

"Alright, well there's not much to it. I'll insert the needle here," she points to a spot on my arm, "it'll collect about one pint of blood which will go into that machine over to your right and then you'll be all done. Shouldn't take longer than eight to ten minutes. Ready?" She asks, holding up the needle. I smile timidly and nod while squeezing my squishy ball. She inserts the needle and I watch as the tube that runs from my arm to the machine next to me fills with the deep burgundy blood from my vein. I release a deep breath that I didn't realize I was holding in and rest my head back against the seat.

Oddly enough I begin to think about my parents and the night that they died. It was a warm July evening and my parents, Lauren, and I just finished eating dinner. I helped mom wash the dishes while Lauren helped dad dry them. Afterwards the two of us girls raced to the couch and turned on the TV to watch Invader Zim. The sun was just starting to set, casting an orange glow through the living room window. Mom and dad decided that they wanted to go for a stroll around the neighborhood and asked Lauren and I if we wanted to join. Not willing to be ripped away from our cartoons we both declined and remained firmly planted on the couch. Our parents kissed us both on the tops of our heads and left the house hand-in-hand. That was the last time that I ever saw them. After a little while I heard sirens racing down a nearby street. Very soon after that mine and Lauren's attention was averted from the TV by the red and blue lights of a police cruiser that were flashing repeatedly throughout the room. An officer came to our door and escorted us outside where there were several other cruisers and police officers. All they would tell us was that there had been an accident and that we needed to go with them. I remember feeling very confused and afraid. It wasn't until later that night that a social worker explained to us that our parents were killed in a hit and run by a drunk driver.

As I look back down at the blood rushing from my arm I imagine my parents hurt, dying, and in need of a blood transfusion. I imagine them being rushed to a hospital and a doctor picking up a bag filled with a deep red liquid marked "Bella Swan." The imaginary doctor uses the blood to save my parents and reunite my now broken and scattered family. I close my eyes tightly and frown. My parents died instantly, according to the police reports. No amount of donor blood would've made a difference. I sigh before shaking my head of the sad thoughts and sitting up straighter in the chair. No, a blood transfusion wouldn't have done anything for my parents but there are thousands of people out there right now who it _would_ benefit. I take comfort in the knowledge that the few minutes I'm taking out of my day to do this could make all the difference for someone.

Before I know it the nurse returns to remove the needle and place a small Band-Aid on my arm. I thank her, stand up to leave, and then everything goes black.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - Hey guys! I was able to update way sooner than I originally thought. Hope you like this chapter :)**

 **Chapter 2 - Surprises**

I wake up to a damp cloth being pressed firmly against my forehead. I can hear a woman's voice not too far away.

"She's been out for about a minute... This is actually pretty common, sir... Yes... Yes..." She answers. My eyes start to flutter open and are met by bright fluorescent lights. I'm laying on my back on a cot and the nurse who I thanked moments before is standing above me with a washcloth in her hand. Once she sees that my eyes are open she stops dabbing the cloth against my skin and looks up at the woman on the phone. The latter quickly tells the person on the other end of the line that I just woke up and to take their time getting here. I begin to sit up but the nurse stops me.

"Stay on your back for now, sweetie. You want to let all of the blood rush back to your head." She explains.

"What happened?" I ask as I rest my head back down.

"You got up to leave and then you fainted. I caught you before you hit the floor and moved you onto the cot. You were only out for a minute or two." She tells me gently. I crease my eyebrows together. I fainted? I ate a pretty decent amount of food before coming here so it couldn't be from that. The nurse must notice my confusion because she also adds, "This happens more often than you'd think. It's probably nothing but you should make an appointment with your doctor for a check-up just to be safe."

"Your boyfriend is on his way here right now." The receptionist supplies in a reassuring tone but I can't help but feel bothered that she had to call him. Edward will surely make a bigger deal out of this than necessary. It's in his nature to worry. I can already picture him speeding through town to get to me. I close my eyes and try to relax my body while I wait for him to arrive but it isn't long before I hear him burst through the doors. I look up just in time to see him jogging over to me, anxiety clearly plastered on his face. I lean forward and start to get up just as he rushes to my side to help me. I smirk at the nurse standing on the opposite side of the bed from Edward and roll my eyes. She has to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing out loud. We both thank the nurse and receptionist and then make our way out to the parking lot. I start to pull away from Edward –who has his arm wrapped around me – but he stops walking and turns to me with a confused expression.

"What?" I ask.

"Where are you going?"

"To my car." I tell him though I say it like it's a question.

"Bell, you can't drive." He sighs and nods his head for me to follow him to his car.

"But... but... what about my car? We can't just leave it here."

"We aren't. Rosalie and Emmett are going to drive over here and bring it back to your apartment." He informs me as he opens the passenger side door to his car. I roll my eyes at him for the umpteenth time in a ten-minute period as I get into the car. He goes around to his side and starts driving towards town. It's quite for a few seconds as I steal a glance at Edward. His eyes are on the road but his brows are furrowed and he looks like he's seeing something other than the empty highway lined with evergreens. I'm about to open my mouth to ask him what he's thinking about but he addresses me before I get the chance.

"What's my middle name?" He asks me.

"Uh, what?"

"Answer the question, please."

"Anthony." I supply. He nods his head, looking satisfied.

"Edward, what – "

"When's your birthday?" He continues and I let out a dramatic sigh.

"Oh my god, I'm fine. You don't have to interrogate me. I know all of the answers to these questions. There's nothing wrong with my head." I tell him. He glances at me from the corner of his eye with a big smirk on his face and one eyebrow quirked. "Oh, hush!" I exclaim, knowing exactly where he's going with that. He laughs loudly but it's not long before that concerned look returns to his face. I rub my hand along the back of his neck in an attempt to calm him down.

"Really, honey, I'm alright. I promise." I say in the most soothing voice that I can manage. I can see his body relax slightly and I take the opportunity to move my hand from behind his neck to his thigh. "Are _you_ alright? Maybe there's something I can do to help you wind down..." I trail off as my hand slides slowly up his leg. Before I can get to my desired destination though he covers my hand with his, stopping me.

"Promise me you will call on Monday and make an appointment to see your doctor, Bella." He pleads. I give him a small smile. For as long as I've known Edward he's always been this way. Even when we first met at the diner he was always able to notice if I was feeling more tired than usual or if something was bothering me. It isn't just me that he's like this with either. It's his friends, his employees, his family. It's just in his nature.

"I will." I promise and I can see that he believes me. He pops a Fleetwood Mac CD into the car stereo and we continue the rest of the short ride to my apartment humming along to the songs.

When we arrive at my place I quickly make my way up the stairs to the second floor and over to my studio apartment. The building is just a few blocks away from the town center and is 4 stories high. Most of the people who reside here are from outside of town and chose this complex due to cheaper prices. In fact, the only other person besides me who lives here and is also from Forks is Peter, one of Edward's bartenders and a friend of ours. I met him through Alice and Jasper when I first moved here; he was working at the local clothing store at the time. When Edward eventually moved here and opened his bar, Peter immediately applied to work there as he felt he could no longer work in retail because it was, in his words, evil. After a few months of working there he saved enough money to move out of his parent's house and get a place of his own. It was Edward who recommended that Peter move into this apartment building. I've always suspected he did that because it makes him feel better knowing that there's someone we both know and trust living in the same building as me.

I walk inside and leave the front door open for Edward who is following a few feet behind me. I'm immediately greeted by my sweet little Sphinx cat, Zafrina. She rubs against my leg as she purrs in greeting to me and I reach down and scoop her up into my arms. Edward walks in moments later and scrunches up his face at the sight of her.

"Be nice." I warn him as I hold Zafrina even closer to my chest. Edward chuckles and makes his way over to my small kitchen, reaching into the fridge for two water bottles. He walks past me, causing Zafrina to fidget in my arms in an attempt to follow him, and settles onto my dark blue sofa. I release Zafrina and she runs straight for Edward, jumping into his lap and curling into a perfect little ball there. Edward lifts his hands up so as not to have to touch her and then – after making eye contact with me – he pats her on the head a couple of times.

"You're terrible, all she wants is for you to love her." I say matter-of-factly as I make my way over to the two of them.

"What? I'm letting her lay here. How is that terrible?"

I narrow my eyes at him. "Because you're just tolerating her. She needs some real lovin'" I say as I scratch Zafrina's favorite spot behind her ear. She closes her eyes and leans her head into my hand. "See. She's just a sweet little kitty cat who wants some attention."

"Bell, she's barely a cat. She looks like a weird mutant-alien-thing. I'm convinced that you found her in some radioactive ditch and just told me that parking lot story as a cover." He jokes, referring to when I first found Zafrina in the diner parking lot after work one night.

"Shh, she'll hear you. You don't want to make her self-conscious." I whisper.

"With ears like those I don't think there's anything she _can't_ hear." Edward teases. I elbow him in his side as we both laugh. He reaches his arm around me and pulls me close against his side, kissing my temple.

We both enjoy the next few seconds in a comfortable silence before we decide it's too nice of a day to waste inside. We pack up some lunch and decide to have a picnic at a nearby park by the water. From where we're sitting we can see the tops of mountains peeking out just above the evergreens. The Autumn breeze makes it just cool enough to have to wear a sweater while the shining sun and cloudless sky make it so that it isn't uncomfortably cold. We decide to have dinner at my place tonight and on our way back there we stop at the bar so that Edward can check in on things. Peter and Rosalie are working tonight and I go over and say hi to them before heading over to Tia, a friend of Edward's, as well as the owner of the toy store in town. We talk for the next few minutes as she tells me about how business is doing and how wedding planning is going. She's engaged to Benjamin Amun who manages his family-owned ice cream parlor right next to Tia's store. I briefly think back to when the two started dating. At first I thought they made an odd couple but as I got to know them better through Edward I realized that they balanced each other out perfectly. Benjamin is very laid back and doesn't care much for appearances. He can almost always be seen with a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers and with a somewhat messy head of hair. Tia, on the other hand, is very invested in her hair, make-up, and clothing. Her long, think curls are always scrunched and styled with various gels and serums. She regularly gets her hair highlighted a beautiful blonde color that contrasts perfectly with her dark skin and she's almost always sporting colorful kimonos, bangles, hoop earrings, and stilettos. It seems that Tia's high maintenance tendencies and Benjamin's laid-back persona rub off perfectly on the other.

I continue to listen to Tia rant about how the groomsmen's ties aren't the right shade of red when I feel a sharp pang in my stomach. I clutch my arms around my midsection as my face contorts into a painful expression.

"Uh, Bella? You alright, hon? You don't look so good..." Tia notes but I barely have time to answer as I hop off of my bar stool and run towards the bathroom. I dash into one of the open stalls and lean against the cool stall door. I feel like I'm about to throw up but instead of focusing on that I focus on my breathing. I take five slow, deep breaths as I will myself to feel better. Slowly but surely the nausea begins to pass. The bathroom door opens and I hear Rosalie's voice call out to me.

"Bella, are you okay? Edward saw you run in here and asked me to come check on you."

"I'm fine." I call back. I inhale once more and then open the stall door and walk over to the sinks. I run some cold water and splash it onto my face. When I look up into the mirror I'm met by Rosalie's worried expression.

"You don't look fine. You look a little pale."

"I'm really alright. It's been a long day. I think I just need to get home and get some rest." I assure her and she nods in agreement. As we walk out of the bathroom and back towards the bar I can feel everyone looking at me. One set of eyes in particular are piercing through me but I can't look up to meet them just yet. I sit on one of the stools and continue taking deep breaths as Edward says good night to everyone. When he reaches me he puts his hand on my lower back and stares down at me before asking if I'm ready to go. I nod quickly and walk with him outside and back to his car. He opens my door for me before getting in on his side. He's quiet the entire ride back to my place. Finally, once we park, Edward cuts the engine and turns towards me.

"Are you okay, baby?"

"I'm f-" I start but he interrupts me.

"You're not fine. You passed out this morning and now you're throwing up. I'm worried about you; I've never seen you sick like this Bell."

"I didn't actually throw up. I just felt like I was going to." I say lamely. His worried expression doesn't falter so I add, "I know, I know. I'm sure it's just a stomach virus or something but regardless I'll definitely be calling my doctor on Monday. Maybe tonight and tomorrow we can just take it easy? I'd still like you to stay tonight but if you're afraid of catching whatever this is then I understand if you want to go home instead..." I trail off as a soft smile spreads across his face and he shakes his head.

"There's no way I'm leaving you alone in this condition. Come on, let's get inside. I'll make you some soup." He smiles, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing my knuckles.

The rest of the weekend is filled with Netflix and cans of Campbell's soup. I end up calling James Sullivan, the owner of the book store that I was supposed to volunteer at on Sunday, and let him know that I'm sick and won't be able to come in. Edward calls Jasper and Alice to cancel our plans with them as well. There are a few more instances where I feel sick but just like the first time nothing actually comes of it. Edward stays glued to my side the entire time, making sure I won't have to lift a finger for anything. Part of me acknowledges how annoyed I should probably feel from him hovering the way that he is but the truth is that it doesn't bother me in the slightest. He and I both know that I can take care of myself but while he's around it's pretty nice to know that I don't have to.

By Monday morning Edward is back at work while I'm taking the day off to see my doctor. As I sit in the quiet waiting room of doctor Black's practice I try to keep myself busy by thinking about Halloween. It's about two weeks away and Edward and I are throwing a party at the bar for it. I think about the possible costumes that he and I could wear. I really want to be Morticia and have Edward be Gomez from The Addams Family but he really wants to go as Popeye with me as Olive Oil. I continue to imagine the two of us in each set of costumes – trying to decide which one would look the best – when one of the nurses calls my name, effectively snapping me back to reality.

I follow her just outside the bathroom where she hands me a cup to provide a urine sample. I thank my earlier self for drinking lots of water this morning before using the bathroom and placing the cup in the revolving metal window of the bathroom wall. I then follow the nurse to a small room where she takes my temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate while asking me about my symptoms.

"Everything looks good as far as your vitals go. It sounds like you're probably just dealing with a simple stomach bug but the doctor will be in shortly and he'll be able to let you know exactly what's going on. Sit tight for a minute, alright?" She smiles before exiting the room and closing the door behind her.

Alone again, my mind wanders back to my Halloween predicament. I'm really starting to feel stressed out, as ridiculous as that sounds. I really pride myself on going all out with my costumes and Edward is sort of being a kill joy in regards to my awesome Addams Family idea. I sigh and then let out a little chuckle, counting myself lucky that my life is so deprived of any real drama that this is an actual problem for me. Just then there's a knock at the door.

"Come in!" I say in a sing-song voice as doctor Black begins to enter the room, greeting me with a familiar smile. Billy Black – who happens to be Jacob's father – is a short, older man with rectangular glasses and long black hair. I've been coming to him since I moved to Forks six years ago as he's the closest doctor to town.

"Well, hello Ms. Bella! It's good to see you; perhaps not under these circumstances but still, always a pleasure." He beams and I giggle, nodding in agreement.

"I know what you mean. It's good to see you too, Doc. So... do we know why I've been feeling so whacky lately?" I question. He's looking down at his clipboard but his eyes flicker up to mine for a moment before looking back down. He nods his head slowly before answering.

"Yes, I believe we know exactly why you've been feeling – as you put it – 'whacky'. Before I get to that however I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"Shoot."

"Are you still on birth control?" He asks and I nod, knowing that he needs to know this in order to figure out which medications will be best to prescribe to me. His mouth turns down into what looks like a frown for a moment before his eyes meet mine again. "Okay. Now, I see you fainted a few days ago and have been dealing with bouts of nausea all weekend. Have you been feeling particularly fatigued lately?"

"I guess a little" I shrug, thinking back to this past weekend. I did feel pretty tired, taking a few short naps throughout the day. I look up at Billy, a clear expression of sympathy written all over his face, and I begin to feel panic settle deep inside me as my mind starts to play catch up. "Wha-what's going on?" I stutter, though I already know exactly what's going on.

"Bella, I know you weren't planning for this but above all I want you to remember that you do have options available to you. I don't want you to feel afraid –"

"Just give it to me straight, Doc." I mutter as I rub my temples, just needing to hear him say the words already.

"You're pregnant, Bella."

 **A/N - Well, there it is, I'm sure a lot of you saw that coming. Please leave lots of reviews so I know what you guys think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Choices**

Pregnant. The word continues to echo through my head as I get into my jeep and begin to drive aimlessly through town. I don't want to believe it. I can't believe it. Wasn't it just an hour ago that the most taxing thing in my life was figuring out which costume I'd be wearing on Halloween? Now, here I am with a tiny little person inside of me. How could I possibly be a mom? I don't make enough money to take care of a child, I live in a studio apartment for Christ's sake. Not to mention, what the hell do I know about raising a kid? I grew up in foster care. Sure, I remember my parents but I was nine when they died. I didn't really have time to pick up parenting advice from them and – although most of my foster parents were kind enough – I didn't really spend enough time in one foster home to learn anything of value from them. I bite my lip as I let my thoughts drift to Edward. What will he think when I tell him? I imagine that he'll be upset, not with me of course but just with the situation as this isn't exactly something we were planning for. We've spoken about kids and marriage in the past, both agreeing that we wanted to wait a few years for both. I snort and roll my eyes, _so much for that._

I pull over and park, not realizing where it is that I am until I look up and see the neon sign for Eclipse lit up in front of me. I take in a deep breath, get out of the car, and head inside. When I walk through the doors the only two people there are Mr. Cope, the owner of the Hardware shop, and Aro. I'm not surprised as it's only a quarter past noon, when the bar opens. The two men, both enjoying plates of nachos, wave hello to me and I greet them with a small smile. I take a seat on the stool closest to the end of the bar while I wait for Edward to finish up his conversation with them. He eyes me warily and I can see that he already knows something is up but I just offer him a slight nod, unable to do much more to reassure him.

"Alright, guys enjoy your food. I'll be right back." Edward finishes as he walks over to me. He wraps me in his arms for a moment before pulling away and giving me a meaningful look. "What's wrong?"

"Can we talk in your office?" I whisper, not meeting his eyes. He nods and takes my hand, leading me into the small room just to the side of the bar. He closes the door and motions for me to sit while he leans back against the desk, facing me with his arms crossed against his chest. I take in a deep, shaky breath trying to compose myself but I make the mistake of looking up into his eyes. Any semblance of composure that I'm hoping to keep is immediately lost as I burst into tears. I hide my face in my hands while my whole body shakes with the sobs that are erupting from me before I feel two strong arms pull me up and hold me in a warm embrace. We stand like that for what feels like forever while I ramble on about accidents and decisions. Edward, oblivious to what I'm talking about, rubs circles into my back. Finally, he gently pushes me away from him an inch and cradles my face in his hands.

"You're freaking me out, baby. What the hell is going on?" He pleads.

"I'm pregnant." I say quietly, my eyes closed. I wait for his response and when he says nothing I think that he didn't hear me. I open my eyes slowly to gauge his expression and find him looking sympathetic. The next thing I know he's pulling me in close against him again and murmuring that everything will be okay and that we'll figure this out.

"What are we going to do?" I ask almost rhetorically, my face still pressed against his chest.

"That's a choice that only you – and you alone – can make. I'll support you no matter what you want to do, Bell."

"You mean like... if I want to terminate the pregnancy?"

"If that's what you want to do." He states seriously. I pull my face back in order to look up at him. He's wearing a solemn expression and I know that he means every word he just said.

"Is that what you want?"

"It doesn't matter what I – "

"It doesn't matter? This is just as much your baby as it is mine. Your opinion counts, Edward!" I interject, not understanding why he's putting this all on me. He nods his head and brings my hand up to kiss it.

"Make no mistake, sweetheart, if you choose to remain pregnant I will be here with you every step of the way. I will be involved and present and making decisions with you. I'll take care of you in every way and when the time comes I'll do the same for our baby. However, I don't want you to make a decision right now based on what you think I want you to do. _You're_ the one who's body is going to be changing for the better part of a year. This choice is yours and it shouldn't be made because of any outside influences." He concludes. I nod my head, feeling simultaneously comforted by his response and overwhelmed that I have to make such an impactful decision on my own. Our lives could change forever depending on what I end up doing. I sigh and take both of his large hands in mine.

"This is a huge decision so I'll need some time to think about it. I know that I can't wait too long so I'm just going to take this next week to think everything through. Would you mind giving me some space to do that?" I inquire, hoping that he'll understand that I can't have any distractions while I make this choice. Thankfully, he smiles at me and then lowers his face so that he can press his lips to mine. The kiss is soft and tender and full of silent reassurances that he'll always stand by me. When he ends the kiss he rests his forehead against mine.

"Of course," he breathes "and when you're ready you know where to find me." He finishes with a wink before walking me back out through the bar and to the front door, holding my hand the entire time. Once we're at the door he squeezes my hand, let's go, and then turns away to get back to work.

The next few days I spend alone to think everything through. Edward texts me every now and then with words of support and encouragement. It's Friday morning and I wake up to a text from him that reads:

 **Hello, love. Just wanted to remind you how strong you are and that I'm still right here when you need me. Hope you have a good day.**

I smile and reply back thanking him and telling him to have a good day as well before getting out of bed and getting ready for work. On the way out of my apartment I grab a protein bar to have as a quick breakfast and then drive over to Esme's Diner. I'm working 8 AM to 2 PM today and since it's a week day I know that it'll be an easy shift. I punch in and throw on my apron as I say hi to Alice who's working the morning shift with me today.

"Rough night last night? You look exhausted." She notes, her lips pursed together in a worried line. I scrunch up my face, thinking about the fact that I spent the last few nights battling morning – or, I guess evening? – sickness as well as staying up until the wee hours of the morning contemplating what I'm going to do in regards to my pregnancy.

"You could say that." I answer

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, I'm alright. Thank you, though."

I see Mrs. Cope walk in and take the opportunity to get her coffee ready. She's a regular at the diner and every morning she comes in and gets a medium coffee with skim milk and two sugars. I finish stirring in the sugar and then head over to the booth she's sitting in and greet her good morning, placing the cup of coffee down in front of her.

"Good morning to you, too." She smiles up at me through her large, round glasses. Mrs. Cope owns the town Flower shop. She's nice enough but has never been one to go out of her way to be too personable. Usually I try to avoid serving her as I'd rather have customers that I can hold a conversation with but these past few days I've been ready and willing to bring Mrs. Cope her morning coffee. I definitely haven't been myself lately and apparently I'm not a great actress since everyone that comes in asks me if I'm alright. Mrs. Cope, however, barely notices a change – of if she does then she doesn't comment on it – which is just fine with me.

The rest of the day goes by uneventfully. More people start to come by as it gets later in the day. I put in a food order for one of my tables and then take a moment to rest behind the front counter. Eleazar, my manager, notices and checks in with me to make sure I'm alright.

"Yeah, just a little tired." I smile weakly at him.

"Okay, well your shift is almost over so if you feel like it's more than just being tired you could always head out of here early. I could take care of your tables before Megan comes in for the evening shift."

"That's really sweet but don't worry about it. I'm feeling better already." I assure, standing up straighter. He gives me a skeptical look but is distracted when his five-year-old daughter, Irina, runs through the door straight towards him with her arms wide open.

"Daddy!" She squeals and is followed by a wobbling Kate, Eleazar's two-year-old daughter, who's reaching out her chubby little hands to her father. He quickly reaches out the arm which isn't holding up Irina and scoops Kate up.

"Well, isn't this a nice surprise! Hey, babe." Eleazar greets his wife, Carmen, who is strutting over in a cashmere button-up sweater, skinny jeans, and stiletto heals. I have no idea how the woman is able to keep up with these two girls while wearing heels but hey, more power to her.

"Hi, sweetheart," Carmen kisses her husband hello, "Hi, Bella." She smiles at me as she takes Kate – who is now wiggling to get from her father to her mother – into her arms.

"Hey, Carmen! Long time, no see."

"I know; I've been so busy since school started back up. The sixth graders this year are no joke. I only have two classes this year but I certainly have my hands full." She chuckles, shaking her head. I laugh along with her and then excuse myself to give them some privacy. I walk a few feet away over to the coffee machine to clean it but every now and then I steal glances over at Eleazar and his family. I notice how genuinely happy he and Carmen look despite the undercurrent of exhaustion in their eyes. The two girls are chasing one another around their parents' legs while Eleazar and Carmen try to make plans for dinner. I watch as Kate rarely strays too far from her mother, always making sure to be touching some part of her.

I reflect back on my relationship with my own mother when she was still alive. Being the younger sibling, I was babied a little more than Lauren which fostered a deep bond between my mother and I. I was close with my dad as well but I always remembered my mom as 'home base.' She was my comfort, my security and even as a child I could tell that she very much enjoyed that role. Whether I fell off my bike and skinned my knee or simply had a bad dream in the middle of the night my mom never hesitated to rush to my side, hold me close, murmur soothing words in an attempt to calm me. I continue to reminisce in my faded childhood memories, remembering how in the mornings my mom would always wake Lauren and I up by slowly opening the curtains of our bedroom windows and softly singing to us while going back and forth between the two of us to rub our backs until we eventually got up out of bed. Once downstairs, dad would play a Beatles or Stones album and we'd all sing and dance around the kitchen while he and mom made breakfast. We never watched much TV but it wasn't something that I can remember Lauren or I caring about as mom and dad could always be counted on to fill the time with fun activities. Memories of evenings spent painting, having dancing contests, playing board games, and participating in outdoor activities flood my mind and I cherish the few years that I had to enjoy those family traditions.

I'm brought back to the present when I notice Alice standing in front of me, staring down at my torso as she raises her eyebrows in a look of shock. Only then do I notice that I've been rubbing small circles against my flat stomach for the past sixty seconds.

I walk into my apartment and set my keys down on the table, sighing. I reach into the fridge almost grabbing a beer but, catching myself, opt for a water bottle instead. I plop down on my couch and Zafrina, who was laying in a ball on top of my bed, jumps down and rushes over to cuddle up close to me. I absent mindedly pet her while I think back on the last twenty minutes of my life. It's not shocking that Alice guessed what's been up with me when she spotted my hand on my stomach back at the diner. I tried to play it off like my stomach was bothering me but she pointed out that I was smiling the whole time while I was spaced out – "I don't know many people who get all googley-eyed over a stomach bug." She had snorted. I had to pull her back to the kitchen and quickly tell her what was going on while wiping away tears. She quickly agreed with everything that I told her Edward had said to me on Monday and then promised me that she wouldn't speak a word of this to anybody. I knew that I could trust Alice to keep my secret and I was instantly relieved that I was working with her today and not one of the other girls that I wasn't as close to – world travels fast in a small town.

I look up at the photograph of my parents hanging on my wall and instantly wish that I had them here to help me through this situation. For the first time in what feels like a very long time I'm longing for my mother's arms to reach out and pull me close to her as she whispers to me that everything will be alright. Not for the first time since Monday, I begin to cry as I continue to struggle with this seemingly impossible choice. Rationally, I know that there are so many reasons why I shouldn't have a baby; I never went to college nor do I have a career where I could support myself and a child, I live in an apartment that doesn't even have a bedroom for me let alone for a baby, I'm not married, I don't know the first thing about being a mother. Am I really ready to give up the freedom that I have in exchange for sleepless nights? I sigh and place my hand on my stomach. There are one hundred and one reasons for me not to have a baby. I know that.

Yet, I just can't shake the feeling that this little baby that's half-me and half-Edward is meant to be here. I start to cry even more but for the first time since I found out about the pregnancy these tears aren't a product of my fear and uncertainty. They're tears of joy – joy that right now my body is growing and nurturing this little one inside of my belly. As ill-equipped as I may be to raise a child I feel like this is what's right. Mental images of Kate and Carmen and myself with my own mother flash through my mind as my heart fills with a strong sense of conviction. I could never choose a future for myself that doesn't include this baby, my baby. Edward's baby. Oh my God. Edward! I jump up off the couch and grab my keys, rushing out the door in an effort to get to Eclipse as soon as possible.

When I get to the bar the parking lot is packed as it's Friday evening. I quickly park down the street and as I get out of my Jeep it starts to rain but I barely notice as I run across the street and towards the bar, soaked by the time I reach it although I can't bring myself to care as I burst through the front doors. I Want You to Want Me by Cheap Trick loudly playing through the speakers intermingles with the chatter of what looks to be about everyone in town. I scan the bar, seeing Rosalie and Peter before finally spotting Edward all the way at the end. He's leaning across the bar talking to Emmett and before I can even think about it I find myself shouting his name and bounding behind the counter straight for him. I stop mere inches away from his face and look up into his eyes, practically trembling with joy. His eyes look almost hopeful and for a split second I wonder if he'll be as enthusiastic about my decision as I am but the thought is fleeting and overshadowed by my happiness. I reach up on my tippy toes and grab his face, pulling his lips down to mine while his arms wrap around my waist. Everyone sitting at the bar whistles but neither one of us pays them any attention and it's during this kiss that I get an answer to my question: he's happy with my decision. I don't even need him to say it because I can feel it radiating off of him and onto me. When we finally pull apart he has the widest grin spread across his face while his eyebrows pull together into a silent question. I discreetly place my hand over my stomach and bob my head up and down as Edward bursts into laughter, once again wrapping his arms around me.

"Who wants a free round of drinks?" Edward shouts and the whole bar erupts into cheers. I press my face into his chest, giggling, before pulling myself away from him to help serve up a few drinks to people. The rest of the night is spent socializing from behind the counter as Edward will hardly let me move more than a foot away from him. It doesn't escape my notice that the wide grin he was sporting earlier never leaves his face.

Once the bar is completely empty and closed up Edward grabs me and lifts me into his arms. I wrap my legs around him and he carries me up the stairs to his apartment like this as I lay kisses along the side of his neck. Once inside his apartment he sets me down on top of the kitchen counter and leans down to kiss me. I grab the bottom of his shirt and attempt to lift it up over his head when I feel him laugh against my lips.

"Wait, wait, wait. There'll be plenty of time for that later. I want to talk first." He says, resting his hands on my thighs. "How'd you make your decision."

I shrug, "I just realized that having your baby feels like the right thing to do. It must feel that way for a reason."

" _My_ baby. Shit, that sounds so crazy! Good crazy, obviously. Man, I'm so excited, Bell! We're gunna be parents!" He exclaims, kissing me quickly on the lips.

"I know, it's so surreal but I really feel so happy about this. I'm happy that you're happy."

"Of course I'm happy. I didn't want to tell you how I felt because I knew it wouldn't be right to make you feel pressured into anything but God, I really do want this baby. And I know that we've only been together for a little over a year but Bella, I promise you that I will always be here for you and for our child. I love you, sweetheart and nothing will ever change that. Nothing." He presses his lips against my forehead and takes one of my hands in his, squeezing it.

"I know. I trust you and I love you too, Edward." I breathe.

"So, have you scheduled a doctor's appointment yet? You have to get an ultrasound, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I haven't scheduled anything yet," I hop down from the counter and move into the living room to sit on the couch as Edward follows behind me. "I guess I'll do that tomorrow." I shrug.

"Let me know as soon as you make it so that I can move things around at work. I want to go with you to every single appointment... if that's alright with you."

"Of course it is, silly." I giggle.

"Just making sure," He raises both hands up in the air. "Hey, we gotta tell my family and Esme and Carlisle!" He says.

Esme, the owner of the diner that I work at, and her husband Carlisle have been like my honorary mom and dad since I moved to Forks. I think that they were so eager to fill that position in my life as they were never able to have children of their own. Esme took a liking to me instantly when I first showed up in town, offering me a job and helping me find my apartment. Before long, she and Carlisle began inviting me to their home every Sunday night for dinner. They emphasized that I was welcome to come over whenever I pleased but Sunday nights were when Carlisle went all out for dinner. It's become something of a tradition and when I began dating Edward and asked them if he could come along they were more than happy to set out an extra plate for him, quickly accepting him as part of our makeshift family.

"We do but..." I trail off, biting my lip. "Do you think we could wait until I'm further along? You know, just to be safe."

"Absolutely. Whenever you feel comfortable with it that's when we'll let everyone know." He agrees, leaning into kiss me before pulling away and adding, "now come on, it's getting late; we should go to bed." He takes my hand in his and leads me off of the couch and towards the bedroom.

"Hmm, bed? What happened to 'there'll be plenty of time for that later'? I guess you can't keep up with your young, exuberant girlfriend. You probably have to go to sleep nice and early right, old man?" I tease. He turns around quickly and pins me up against the hallway wall just outside of his bedroom.

"I said 'go to bed.' I didn't say we'd be going to sleep, smartass." He growls and then picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. I scream and laugh as he throws me down onto his bed and crushes his lips against mine. His hands quickly remove my clothes from my body and as he looks down hungrily at me all of the humor from before is gone. We slowly make love to one another, reveling in every touch, every kiss. When we finish we lay close together, Edward's hand resting on my belly. It's not long before he starts to snore and I know that he's asleep. I think back on his mood tonight and how his excitement was so infectious it even had me forgetting about any anxieties that I had. But now, in the quiet darkness of Edward's bedroom, I can feel those anxieties creep their way back into my mind.

It's not that I'm second guessing my decision because I absolutely want this baby and I can already feel myself starting to love him or her. I can picture my little one all cozy and snuggled up in my belly and it fills my heart with so much warmth. I still have my concerns, though. For one, the fact that I'm not even married to Edward so I can't allow myself to completely rely on him for support. Not that I think he would ever up and leave me with our child but, financially, I need to be able to support my baby in the event that I wouldn't have Edward to fall back on. I need to get a bigger apartment and try to pick up more shifts at work.

I place my hand over Edward's and wonder why he was so excited earlier when he realized that I had decided to keep this baby. I'm relieved by his reaction but also a bit confused. Typically, if a guy knocks up his girlfriend it's not something he's very happy about. Then again, Edward is turning thirty next month and nearly all of his friends – both here in Forks and a few back in Seattle where he grew up – are married and either trying to have kids or already do. Maybe he thinks about things like marriage and babies more than I thought. It makes sense that it isn't something he'd talk about given the fact that I'm still only twenty-four and he wouldn't want to make me feel pressured. When you factor in the fact that he makes a decent amount of money from the bar it doesn't seem so crazy that he wouldn't feel scared by the idea of a baby. I count myself lucky that he's in such high spirits over this pregnancy, not only because it makes things that much less stressful but also because his good moods always rub off on me and tend to help me not over think things. I smile and thread my fingers through Edward's, causing him to stir and kiss me softly on the back of the head.

" _I love you"_ I whisper – too quietly for him to hear – to both him and our baby.

 **A/N - Wellp, there you have it! Edward is very happy about the prospect of being a father. In the next few chapters we'll get to see how their first ultrasound goes as well as how each of their families take the news.**

 **As always, please leave lots of reviews! I appreciate every one who already left one/has fav'd and followed this story. You guys are the best :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - Catch**

Today is my first appointment with my obstetrician. In true Edward fashion, he gets us there a half an hour early. Luckily for us, it's not busy at all and she's able to see us a little earlier than our scheduled appointment time. When the nurse calls my name I walk hand-in-hand with Edward through the door and follow as the nurse leads us to a room without a door off to the side. The nurse asks me to step onto the scale so that he can get my weight.

"I'm guessing that by the eighth month of pregnancy that number will seem pretty, pretty small, huh?" I joke, gesturing towards the scale.

"You got that right. By then, you'll look like you're sporting a basketball under your shirt." He chuckles. My eyes widen at the thought which causes both the nurse and Edward to laugh loudly. Edward takes my hand in his and pulls it up to his lips to place a kiss there.

"Don't worry, you'll still be beautiful. Basketball belly and all." He winks at me, soothing my nerves.

After taking my blood pressure and temperature, and having me pee in a cup we're directed to a room at the end of the hallway. When we walk in, the doctor is already there setting aside the paperwork she was just sifting through and standing to greet us.

"Hello, you must be Bella!" She smiles warmly at me and then quickly glances to Edward before returning her gaze to me.

"Yes and this is my boyfriend, Edward. He's the baby daddy." I add in hastily and pat my stomach. The doctor chuckles and reaches out to shake both of our hands.

"It's great to meet both of you. I'm Senna Rodriguez." She says and then holds up what appears to be a hospital gown. "I'll need you to take everything from the waist down off so that I can administer a pelvic exam. After that I'll ask you a few questions and then you guys can head into the room across the hall for your ultrasound. According to your last menstrual cycle you're about nine weeks along."

"Okay, great. Thank you." I nod and reach for the hospital gown.

The exam and questions don't take very long and before I know it I'm staring at a large screen with – what looks to be – a small gummy bear right in the center. The ultrasound technician, Chelsea, is talking to Edward and I about how big the baby is and is pointing out where the gestational sac is. I can hardly pay attention to anything she's saying though because I'm so distracted by the fact that that little gummy bear is my baby. My mind immediately flies to visions filled with me rocking a small newborn in my arms, kissing him or her on the forehead. I imagine Edward with our baby, this time a couple of months old, as he tickles our little one and they both laugh together. I picture little button up shirts for a boy and frilly bows for a girl, bath time routines where the bathroom floor gets all messy and wet from him or her splashing around in the water. Edward squeezes my hand and I snap my attention back to the present. I meet his gaze and see him staring back at me with an expectant look.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" I ask, looking back and forth between him and Chelsea.

"I was just wondering if you were ready to hear the heartbeat." She says.

"Oh, yeah! Absolutely!" I confirm and watch the screen as Chelsea zooms in on the tiny gummy-bear-baby. After a few seconds I can hear the most beautiful WOOSH-WOOSH-WOOSH sound and, unexpectedly, tears start to spring up in my eyes and roll down my cheeks.

"That's amazing." I sniffle and Edward reaches over to kiss me, looking meaningfully into my eyes for a long moment once he pulls away. As I stare back at him I can feel a whole swarm of butterfly's in my stomach. Edward glances back at the screen and then does a double take, gently shaking my shoulder.

"Bell, he's moving!" He blurts out. I quickly turn towards the screen and sure enough this little gummy bear with his tiny arm buds is wiggling around and dancing for us. Overjoyed, I start to laugh as more tears stream down my cheeks.

"Well, look at that," Chelsea notes. "Baby is saying hi to mommy and daddy!"

Since Edward and I both already took the day off of work we decide to head to Seattle and spend the rest of our afternoon there. While Edward drives I look down at the sonogram in my hand. After we left our appointment I called Esme to confirm dinner this Sunday while Edward called his mom to arrange for us to go there for a late lunch tomorrow afternoon. I decided that I was comfortable with telling our families about the news this weekend, now that we saw our baby and heard their heartbeat. I thought about how breaking the news would go. Obviously, it's not something they'll be expecting. I know that Esme and Carlisle will be shocked but also thrilled for us whereas Edward's family will be a whole other story.

Edward's family is extremely wealthy and they, his mom in particular, hold very high standards for themselves. His mother, Elizabeth Mason, is your typical upper-class house wife. She's very active with their local church, is in charge of the housekeepers and chefs that they hire, hosts charity events in their home, and is always sporting designer dresses, with a full face of makeup and her hair professionally styled in an up-do. The few times that I've met her she seemed nice enough on the outside but it didn't take long for me to see through to her true nature. Between the passive aggressive comments about my not being "cultured" due to growing up in foster care and the way that she looks me up and down with a displeased look I don't need to be a genius to realize that she isn't my biggest fan. It'll be bad enough that Edward conceived a child out of wedlock but the fact that it's with me will, I'm sure, make things that much worse in his mom's eyes. I don't think that the rest of his family will clutch their pearls quite like his mother. His dad, Edward Mason I, will probably be indifferent. He definitely won't be jumping for joy but he won't care as much as his wife about what their friends and neighbors might say.

Then there are Edward's younger siblings. Alec is a twenty-seven-year-old lawyer, married, and living just a few blocks away from his parents. He and Edward don't talk much; something about a falling out when they were much younger. I've only met Alec twice but he seemed very much like Elizabeth so, while cordial towards him, I followed Edward's lead and kept my distance. I didn't feel confident that he'd react well to the pregnancy but given the fact that we hardly ever see him it shouldn't be much of an issue. Edward's other little brother, Garrett, is my age – twenty-four – and is definitely my favorite of them all. He's a nurse, working in Seattle and living in an apartment there. From the first time that I met him it was clear that he looked up to Edward from the way that he'd recount their childhood memories, always casting Edward as the funny one or the popular one. I'm fairly confident that he'll be the only person who will actually be happy for us. Finally, there's Jane who's twenty-one and living at home while she finishes up college. It'll be interesting to see how she reacts. She has her moments – more often than not – where she can be a lot like Elizabeth but for the most part she acts just as uninterested as her father. I continue to play out the possible scenarios of tomorrow, ranging from Edward's mom crying sad tears to her trying to pressure us into getting married, when Edward pulls over and parks the car.

"You've been awfully quiet for the last forty minutes. What is going on in that head of yours?" He wonders, running his fingers through my hair.

"I'm just wondering how your family will take the news tomorrow." I confide and Edward immediately stiffens. "That bad, huh?" I say, half joking.

"It doesn't matter. If they take it well, great. If they don't, screw 'em." He shrugs and then gets out of the car and comes around to the passenger side to open my door. I step out of the car, pulling my baggy, knit cardigan tighter around myself as a breeze whips past. We begin strolling down the street, hand-in-hand, as I contemplate my next words.

"You can't really say that." I finally comment.

"Hmm? Say what?"

"'Screw 'em'" I imitate, doing a bad impression of him which causes him to smirk. "They're your family. It matters what they think." Suddenly he stops walking and puts both of his hands on each side of my face.

"Bella, you and this baby are my family now. The two of you will _always_ come before anybody else. If my family can't be supportive then we're better off without them." He confirms, kissing me on the forehead and then resuming our walk down the street. As we come up on a shoe store Edward asks if we can take a look inside.

"You go on without me, there's a bakery at the end of the block that I really want to go to. You can meet me there." I tell him. He agrees and as we part ways I ponder his words as I continue walking down the block. _We're better off without them._ He can't actually mean he'd cut off his own family? I mean, I'll be hurt if they're completely unsupportive but I would never suggest that we stop speaking to them. They're his family after all and one day they'll be our baby's family as well. He can't just ignore that and cut ties. I resolve that I'll never let myself or this baby get in the way of Edward's relationship with his family. No matter how rude his mom can be to me at times it's still important that he have a relationship with her and especially that this baby have a relationship with his grandma. I, of all people, know how difficult it can be to grow up without a family. I will do everything in my power to make sure that my baby doesn't ever have to go through that.

As I get closer to the corner I notice something sticking out of the window above the bakery. I speed up to get closer and, cupping my hands above my eyes to block out the sun, I squint up at the window only to see that it's a small arm. I'm jogging now, my eyes still focused on the window when I see a small boy who could be no more than five years old stick his head out the window, soon followed by the entire upper half of his body. Before I have time to try and call out for help or tell the boy to stop, he leans out too far and falls. Some small part of my mind registers the few screams that let out at the sight – including the little boys – but the rest of my mind is too busy jumping into action. I leap forward with my arms open in front of me and, by some miracle, I catch the little boy as we both fall to the ground. I lean forward with him in my lap and after a few second he buries his face into my shoulder and begins to cry. I pat him on the back and try and calm him down so that I can ask him if he's hurt at all. My first thought is that I somehow hurt him when I caught him and so I just keep repeating, "Are you okay, sweetie?" Eventually the little boy nods his head and lets out in a shaky voice "I'm scawed." I continue to pat his back as Edward runs over and kneels down beside us.

"Jesus Christ, is he okay? Are you okay?" He asks, slightly hysterical and looking down at my stomach. I nod my head quickly.

"We're fine. All of us." I reassure him. Edward leaves us to go run up to the apartment upstairs and find the parents. Once he's gone several people come over to the little boy and I.

"Thank God you were so close. My wife and I noticed his head hanging out the window from our car. I jumped out to try and catch him but I was too far away." One man informs me. "You're a hero, kid." He tells me as, who I assume to be his wife, stands behind him nodding. Before I can respond I hear police sirens approaching and soon after, two police cruisers, an ambulance, and a news truck show up.

Several reporters are being held off by the police officers when Edward comes jogging over to me and the officer I'm talking to, informing us that the apartment door was wide open and there was nobody inside. One of the officers heads up there to check it out for himself while an EMT looks over the little boy and then me. She quickly concludes that were both fine, other than me having a few scratches on my elbows from the fall. However, Edward tells her that I'm pregnant and asks if that changes anything. The EMT concludes that, just to be safe, we should probably head to the hospital to make sure everything is okay with the baby.

A few reporters come up to me and the bystanders crowded around, asking what happened. After answering a few questions, Edward and I get ready to head to the hospital. Before turning towards the car though I walk up to the police officer with the little boy in the back of his cruiser.

"What's going to happen to him?" I ask hopelessly, already knowing too well what lies ahead for this little boy.

"Well, we can't find his parents and even if we could we wouldn't be able to leave him with them anyway as they'll be charged with child endangerment. We'll have to bring him to a children's home while we wait for things to get cleared up. Hopefully he has some extended family that can take temporary custody of him." The officer sighs.

"Is there anyway that I could stay updated? Maybe there's a case worker that I can stay in contact with?" I question, knowing that the chances of that are slim but needing to ask anyway.

"Normally, I'd say no but considering what you did for this little guy today, I'll tell you what. Here's my number," he says, taking out a pad and pen, jotting his phone number down, and handing it to me. "call me later on and I'll give you the number of his case worker. She won't be able to give you any details as you're not his legal guardian but she can at least give you minor updates on his situation."

"Okay, thank you so, so much." I respond, sticking the piece of paper he just handed me into my pocket.

 **A/N - Good thing Bella wanted to go to that bakery. Next chapter we'll find out how the baby is doing (again) and we'll be meeting Edward's family. As always, let me know what you think! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N - I got more writing done in the past few days than I expected so here's another chapter! Hope you guys like it :)**

 **Chapter 5 - News**

Once we get to the hospital, we're seen relatively quickly. To both mine and Edward's relief, everything is fine with the baby. There's still a strong heartbeat and since I'm not feeling any cramps or other discomfort the doctor is pretty unconcerned. We head home where I call the social worker who is assigned to that little boy's case. I find out that his name is Max and that he's currently in the care of a foster family in Seattle. That's all of the information that she can give me but she does promise that I can call her as frequently as I want and that she will continue to update me with the little information that she's able to share. Feeling satisfied, I decide to go to bed early, with Edward following suit since we both have to work morning shifts tomorrow and then go straight to his parents' house.

When we wake up we both sluggishly get out of bed and pick out outfits for the day. I decide on a long, turquoise skirt with yellow and pink flower designs on it and a simple, yellow top that lays about an inch above the top of the skirt, exposing a small sliver of my torso, while Edward wears a gray V-neck with a long sleeve flannel over it and a pair of light blue jeans. He compliments my outfit and together, the two of us enjoy blueberry waffles smothered in syrup before we get into his car and head to work. He drops me off at the diner, following me in to get some coffee.

"Hey Edward!" Alice exclaims as Edward waves back at her.

"Morning, Al." He smiles and sits down on one of the stools at the front counter. I go clock in and peek my head in the back to say good morning to Felix and then to Angela, one of the other waitresses. I head back to the front counter to make Edward a cup of coffee and find him chatting with Aro and Sulpicia, who are sitting at the stools next to him.

"Thank you, sweetheart." He nods as I hand him his mug.

"You got it. Hey guys," I turn towards Aro and Sulpicia. "You being helped already?"

"Yeah, we're good. Thank you Bella." Sulpicia smiles.

"Okay, you guys give me a shout if you need anything. By the way, Aro," I turn towards him "Edward and I are going out to visit family later today and I'm thinking about stopping by the bakery to grab some goodies to bring with us."

"Goodies for your family or goodies for you to snack on during the ride there?" He asks, narrowing his eyes at me and causing me to giggle. He knows me too well.

"A little this, a little that." I shrug and skip away to see who isn't being taken care of yet. Edward leaves soon after, stopping to kiss me goodbye and let me know that he'll be waiting for me in the parking lot when I'm off. I nod and continue on, taking orders and socializing with all of the weekend regulars.

I'm in the middle of re-filling Rebecca Fletcher's glass of water when the diner gets noticeably quieter. Rebecca and her husband, Jeffrey, both have their attention turned towards the small TV above the counter at the front of the diner. I look around and notice that almost everybody else does as well. Alice grabs the remote and turns up the volume and the diner is filled with the voice of the news anchor on the TV announcing that a little boy from Seattle yesterday fell out of a two-story window and was saved just in the nick of time. A video clip from a surveillance camera of a near-by store clearly shows me running with arms stretched out to catch Max, followed by interviews with several bystanders describing what happened. Angela turns to me from where she's standing a few tables away.

"Oh my God, Bella. I can't believe you did that. You're like a real-life super hero." She marvels. Several people in the diner nod their heads in agreement and Alice begins slowly clapping, as others start to join in and before long the entire diner is erupted in applause and compliments. I blush a fierce shade of red as I thank everyone. I make my way behind the counter to put down the pitcher of water in my hand when Alice lowers the volume on the TV and then makes her way over to me.

"That's seriously amazing that you did that." Alice comments.

"I did what anybody else would've done." I say, waving her off.

"Well, it wasn't anyone else. It was you." She smiles. Angela comes jogging over to ask me every possible question regarding what happened yesterday. I answer each question that she throws at me when I feel a sudden pang of nausea – something that I'm still dealing with, though much more sporadically then I was a week or two ago. I scrunch up my face and clutch at my stomach.

"Whoa, are you alright?" Angela questions. I nod slowly. "What's wrong? Are you sick?" She continues to ask and as I look between her confused look and Alice's knowing one I figure there's no point in keeping this from her. I'm not as close to Angela as I am to Alice as she's a few years younger than us and tends to hang out with a different group of people than we do but I still consider her a friend and I know that I can trust her.

"Not exactly..." I begin and then take a deep breath in. "Angela, I'm going to be completely honest with you because I don't really see a point in hiding it at this point. I need you to promise me that you'll keep this between us three for now."

"Of course." She nods, "I promise."

"Alright. I... am with child..." I reveal slowly, stretching my hands out in front of myself, palms up, in an attempt to make light of the news.

"What?" Angela asks, completely puzzled. In the corner of my eye I notice Alice smack the palm of her hand against her forehead. I close my eyes as a small smirk plays along my lips.

"I'm pregnant, Ang."

"Oh. Oh! Wow. Con-congratulations? I mean, are you happy about this? Not that you shouldn't be! I just- it's not like you were trying to- I, uh..." She trails off nervously. I laugh and nod my head.

"Yes, we're very happy about this." I confirm.

"'We're'?"

"Yeah, Ang. It usually takes two people to make a baby." Alice teases, rolling her eyes as Angela begins to blush.

"Shut up! I didn't know if Edward knew already!"

"It's fine," I giggle "Edward knows. He's actually more excited than I am if you can believe that. We just want to tell his family and then Esme and Carlisle before we start telling everyone else in town." I smile and Angela leans in to hug me, telling me that I'll make a great mom. I begin to tear up a little but quickly wipe my eyes as the three of us get back to work.

The rest of my shift flies by and the second that the clock goes from 12:59 PM to 1:00 PM I rush to clock out and bolt out the front door. Just as promised, Edward is waiting for me in the parking lot. I hop into his car, kissing him hello and remind him to stop at the bakery on his way out of town. I practically jump out of the still-moving car when we arrive at Sugar Street Sweets. I've been craving apple fritters for the past few days and desperately need my fix. Edward catches up to me just outside the door, laughing at my urgency to eat pastries.

"I think you're drooling." He laughs, putting his arm around my waist and pulling me close against him. I roll my eyes and stick my tongue out at him as we stroll inside, the rich and savory aroma of all of the sweets in the bakery filling the air around us.

"Hey, look." Edward says quietly, nodding his head to the right. "Your other boyfriend is working today." He smirks. I follow the direction of his head nod and see Liam Greene, a sixteen-year-old boy who goes to Fork's High School and has been working behind the counter for a little over a year – and has had a crush on me for about just as long. I find it flattering and the employee discount he almost always gives me isn't anything to complain about.

"Well, I better go say hello then." I tease, winking at Edward as I walk over towards the counter. Liam, oblivious to my presence, is transferring a tray of blueberry muffins into their display case. I clear my throat to get his attention, causing him to do a double take when he finally notices that it's me and subsequently drop all of the muffins on the floor. I turn back to Edward with a guilty expression as he shakes his head at the scene in front of him. Liam proceeds to pick up the muffins, all the while stammering on about how he's sorry and he'll be with me in just a minute.

"No worries. Take your time." I assure him as I look over the rows of cookies, brownies, and other delicious treats.

"S-sorry about that. What can I get for you, Bella?" He asks, his gaze fixed on the floor.

"I'll get one Chocolate Mousse torte and... six apple fritters." I smile. Liam gets my order ready as Edward walks up to me, taking my hand in his and lifting it to his mouth to kiss the back of it.

"Six apple fritters, mmm? I assume that three of those are for me?" He asks, a smile playing on his lips. I quirk my eyebrow up at him.

"Yeah, well... you know what they say about assuming things." I reply, glancing up at him out of the corner of my eye. Liam returns then with the order, looking slightly disappointed at the sight of Edward holding my hand.

"Will that be all?" He asks. I nod and reach into my bag and pull out my wallet but Edward quickly stops me, pulling his out instead. I look up at him, confused.

"You paid the last time we went out together." He answers by means of explanation. I shrug and put my wallet back in my bag. Liam, watching this exchange, turns to the register and rings up the cake and fritters and it's all I can do not to laugh when he says the price out loud. Once Edward pays and we get back in the car I turn towards him.

"He charged you full price." I laugh.

"I know." He responds flatly. "I figured since I was with you he'd still give the discount."

The drive to Edward's parents' home takes about an hour but the ride doesn't feel too long as we spend it telling stories about our day at work, singing horribly along to songs on the radio, and snacking on apple fritters, which I ended up sharing with him, after all. Despite only being here less than a handful of times I know that we're close once I can see the lavish rows of houses. As Edward pulls into the long driveway of his family's gated estate I can't help but stare in disbelief. Every time I come here I feel like the house keeps getting bigger and bigger. The three-story brick house, which consisted of six bedrooms and bathrooms, was more than three times the size of any of the houses I grew up in. Just then, the familiar nerves that I get whenever we have to come here start to kick in except for this time they're worse because of the news that we have to share with his family today. I take in one shaky deep breath, prompting Edward to place both hands on either side of my face and look into my eyes with a serious expression.

"No matter what happens in there, remember: we are a team. If they choose to take the news badly then we'll leave. I won't subject you to that." He vows and I nod my head to let him know that I believe every word he just spoke. He kisses my forehead and takes the box with the cake inside of it off of my lap.

We walk hand-in-hand towards the impossibly luxurious house. Edward knocks on the door and seconds later we're greeted by his parents' housekeeper, Mae. She's an older woman, probably around the same age as Edward's mom, has a slender frame, short brown hair, and kind eyes. She pulls us both in for a warm hug and asks how the drive was. She and Edward engage in small talk as I take in the interior of the home. It looks exactly as it had the last time we were here. A grand staircase to the right of the door with a large, crystal chandelier hanging in the middle of the main room. To the left of the door is a small sitting room with a fire place and a grand piano and straight ahead of us is a hall way that leads to the main sitting room, just past the beautiful, all-white kitchen.

"Where is everyone?" Edward questions but before Mae can answer Elizabeth beats her to it.

"In here, darling!" She howls in a sing-song voice. I squeeze Edward's hand and he pulls me closer against him. He passes the cake to Mae, asking her to please put it in the fridge for him, and we enter the sitting room. It's much larger than the first and also contains a fireplace as well as a large flat screen TV and windows that stretch from the floor to the ceiling. We greet everyone and immediately I notice that Alec isn't here but I shrug it off as I wasn't really expecting him to be, anyway. Edward and I take a seat on the large sectional, a fair distance away from the rest of his family.

"Mae is setting up the table inside with our plates and food. Once everything is ready we can head into the dining room. In the meantime, tell us how you've been. I feel like it's been so long since we've last seen you two!" Elizabeth says, looking directly at me with a hint of accusation in her eyes when she speaks the last sentence. I shift uncomfortably next to Edward as he answers his mom.

"It has been a while, hasn't it? We've been really busy lately." He shrugs.

"Ah, yes, I can only imagine how taxing waiting tables is." Elizabeth snickers as Jane joins in from beside her.

"Mom –" Edward begins with barely concealed aggravation before she interrupts him, waving her hand in the air dismissively.

"Oh, relax! I'm just teasing. My goodness, you always take things so seriously. Jane, darling, why don't you tell your brother about school."

"Sure. I made the Dean's list again and I'm graduating in May. You can come if I have enough tickets." Jane offers, never once looking up from her cell phone.

"That would be pretty cool. Let me know about the tickets as soon as you can, alright?" Edward responds.

"Mhm." she murmurs, her eyes fixed on her phone.

"Congratulations on the Dean's list." I praise. Jane answers with a quiet 'thanks', still not bothering to look up at either of us. I glance at Edward who just rolls his eyes at his sister's blatant lack of manners. For her part, Elizabeth is looking down at her daughter with an expression of complete adoration.

"We're all just so proud of her." She says just before Mae walks in to let us know that lunch is ready. We all get up and make our way to the dining room. Elizabeth, Edward Sr., and Jane all walk ahead of us as Garrett falls behind to walk next to Edward and I.

"I'd apologize on their behalf but I'm sure you're used to it by now." He smirks at me and I smile and shrug in return, letting him know that it's not a big deal.

"Right. I don't think it's ever possible to get used to that." Edward snorts, his voice laced with sarcasm

"Hey, at least you don't have to deal with it too often." Garrett offers.

"I guess. I swear, she's extra ill-mannered when we visit to make up for lost time." Edward scowls and, with the hand that isn't currently wrapped around his, I reach over and rub his arm in an attempt to calm him down.

"Why'd you come now, anyway?" Garrett wonders. "You guys usually stick to Christmas's and the occasional birthday."

"You'll find out soon enough." Edward sighs and none of us say anything else as we follow their parents and sister into the dining room and take our seats. Our plates are filled with turkey and cheese wraps with a side of grilled chicken salads. The room is quiet as we all begin to eat, aside from the sound of silverware scraping against plates. Finally, after over ten minutes of awkward silence, Edward Sr. clears his throat.

"Edward, how's the bar?" He asks, his tone professional.

"It's doing great." Edward responds. "One of my bartenders, Rosalie, came up with this signature Halloween drink. It's pretty awesome, we call it 'Black Magic Margarita'. It's this really dark green color. People have been loving it." Edward says proudly. "Also, Bella here came up with a cool idea to host a trivia night every second Thursday of the month. Everyone in town is _really_ excited for us to start doing that." He beams at me as I wink back at him.

"Nice call, Bella." Edward Sr. nods, looking impressed.

"Thank you." I smile back at him.

Lunch returns to the awkward silence with random tidbits of small talk here and there. Once everybody is finished eating Mae comes in to clear our plates and bring out new ones along with the cake that Edward and I brought. Jane whines about how much she hates chocolate mousse while Elizabeth makes sure to point out that it's too dry for her liking. Once Edward finishes his slice he takes my hand in his and takes a deep breath in.

"So there's a reason why Bella and I asked to come over today, other than to catch up." He begins. Everybody looks up at him from their plates. Elizabeth looking suspicious, Jane uninterested, Edward Sr. expectant, and Garrett intrigued. "We have some really important news to share with you guys." He smiles down at me.

"You're not engaged, are you?" Elizabeth blurts out, her eyes flying to my left ring finger. I shift uncomfortably in my chair as Edward shoots her an icy glare, no doubt annoyed with her tone.

"No, we aren't engaged." He confirms. He turns his head, locking eyes with me and, without breaking his gaze, he announces: "Bella is pregnant. The two of us are very, _very_ happy to be starting a family together."

Garrett jumps up from his chair, "No way! I'm so happy for you guys!" He exclaims as he jogs around the table and makes his way over to hug us. "Wow, I'm going to be an uncle. This is great!" I giggle at his excitement as I hug him back. It's not until I pull away from him that I notice the others still haven't said anything. The sound of a chair scraping against the marble floor rings through the room as Elizabeth stands up.

"Edward. I'd like to speak with you privately, please." She says harshly.

"Elizabeth, please –" Edward Sr. begins but Elizabeth quickly puts her hand up to silence him. Edward doesn't move for a long moment before he finally stands up, whispers to me that he won't be long, kisses my forehead, and follows his mom out of the room. Edward Sr., Jane, Garrett, and I sit quietly in the dining room as Edward and Elizabeth's hushed voices float through the room, too quiet to make out what they're actually saying. Edward Sr. eventually excuses himself to his office as Garrett tries to ease the tension with small talk about what symptoms I've been experiencing.

"You know, if you ever have any questions feel free to reach out to me. I'm not specialized in pregnancy but I do know a little bit and I'm close with some of the obstetricians at work." He tells me and just as I begin to thank him, Jane looks up at me from her phone.

"I can not believe the two of you were so irresponsible. Bella, you're a waitress without a college education. How the hell do you think you'll be able to support a child?" She sneers. I stare at her, stunned that she just said that to me.

"Shut up, Jane. You have no idea what you're talking about." Garrett retaliates, shaking his head at her. Just as Jane opens her mouth to argue back, Edward's voice echo's through the hall just outside of the dining room.

"Are you kidding me?!" He shouts.

"She isn't right for you, Edward!" Elizabeth scolds. "You should be with someone more suited for you! Somebody like Charlotte or Jessica."

"I don't want to be with your friends' stuck-up daughters. I am in love with Bella," he snaps, articulating each word of the latter sentence, "and I'm not going to stay here and continue to listen to this bullshit." He storms into the room a second later, seething. "Come on, it's time to leave." He orders. I look up at him from my chair, making no move to get up. As uncomfortable as I feel here I hate being the reason for him arguing with his mom and storming out of her house.

"Edward, you shouldn't leave things like this. She's just upset..." I trail off. Edward closes his eyes and scrubs his hands over his face. He opens his eyes and looks at me, his resolve clear on his face.

"Bella. _Please._ "

I nod my head, slowly stand up from my chair, and follow him out of the room without looking back. Garrett catches up to us, walking towards the door along side of me as we both follow behind Edward. Almost to the door, Elizabeth dashes out of the front sitting room and cuts in front of us.

"Just think this through." She tells Edward urgently. "Do you really think this is the best way to have a baby? You aren't married, you've barely known each other very long. Think about what people will say, Edward!" She hisses and then adds, "a baby is a life time commitment that connects you to somebody for the rest of your life." She looks pointedly at me before looking back at him. Suddenly I feel very sick and I know that it's not from pregnancy hormones. Edward balls his hands into fists to try and control his temper. He utters one word through clenched teeth: "Move." Elizabeth slowly moves to the side and Edward wastes no time in flinging the front door open as he puts his hand on the small of my back and leads me out of the house, Garrett following close behind us.

"God, our family really sucks." Garrett mutters once we get to the car. "Look man, I just wanted to say that I really am happy for you guys. I know I don't visit much but things have been slowing down at work lately. I want to try and make some time to see you guys more often."

Edward takes a deep breath in in an attempt to calm down. When he answers his brother the anger hasn't quite left his tone.

"That would be really cool. I'm sure between the three of us we can set something up." He says, offering a small smile and clapping Garrett on the shoulder. Garrett hugs the both of us goodbye and we all get into our cars to leave, the large brick house growing smaller and smaller in the car mirror the further we get. The drive home is quiet except for the music playing softly on the radio. Edward's right hand is gripping the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles are white and, although I'm anxious to know what the hell happened back there, I can tell that he isn't ready to talk about it just yet.

Once we're back at his apartment Edward settles down on the couch and rubs his hands through his hair. He lets out a long sigh as I sit on the arm rest beside him and rub circles along his back. He looks up and offers me a tired smile.

"I guess I have some explaining to do, huh?" He asks me.

"I would appreciate it but if you need some more time before getting into it then I'll understand." I reassure him, secretly hoping that he doesn't need anymore time. He looks like he's considering it but then shrugs.

"Fuck it. Let's just get this over with now. At first, she was adamant that I get a paternity test." He explains and unwillingly I flinch, understanding perfectly well the sentiment behind that suggestion. Edward pulls me down from the arm rest onto his lap and kisses me gently on the top of my head.

"I know without a shadow of a doubt that this baby," he puts his hand on my flat stomach "is mine. To get a paternity test would not only be a waste of time, money, and recourses but it would also be an insult to you. And that's exactly what I told her. Once she realized that I wouldn't budge on that she tried bribing me into breaking up with you." He pauses, expression seething. "She was confident that she and my father could give you enough money to let me walk away scot-free. She said that it was time I 'come home, get a real job and a'..." He trails off, gauging my expression before continuing "...'a suitable girlfriend.'" He relays, his tone cold and bitter.

Tears start to pool in my eyes and run down my cheeks. I try to quickly wipe them away but Edward notices them right away and pulls me close to him, cursing himself for being so open about it all.

"No, I'm glad you told me everything. I just hate that your mom finds me so horrible that she would actually suggest that. I don't know what else I could do to get her to like me." I cry into his shirt.

"Are you kidding me? Bella, this is _not_ about you. This is about her. She's so caught up in what her holier-than-thou friends would think. You could be a literal saint and she still wouldn't be satisfied because you don't come from a wealthy family." Edward tells me.

"So, basically, if you had knocked up one of her rich friends' daughters this wouldn't even be an issue for her?"

"It still would be." He says, looking somewhere far away, his expression conveying blatant disgust and contempt. "A child conceived out of wedlock will ruin my family's reputation at that stuck up church that her and my father are a part of. Everyone in their social circle will blame my parents for raising a child to be so irresponsible." He says, rolling his eyes. "My mom cares more about how she's perceived than anything else."

"They're seriously that judgmental?" I ask, incredulously.

"Unfortunately, yes. A few of my mother's friends have already expressed their disapproval of me moving to a small town like Fork's to run a bar. They look down on it. The fact that I'm now fathering a child with someone from this town that I'm not married or even engaged to will be the icing on the cake."

"And your mom really cares that much about what her 'friends' think? Enough to bribe you into walking out on me and your own child?" I ask as my eyebrows pull together in confusion.

"Bella, there's a lot that you don't know about my mom." He explains somberly.

"Like what? What don't I know?" I question as he let's out a long sigh and runs one of his hands through his hair.

"That's a conversation for another day, sweetheart. I'm tired and honestly, I'm not quite ready to get into all of that right now."

I don't argue and together we get ready for bed, Edward holding me tight once we're under the covers. He's quiet for a long while but I know that he isn't asleep. I feel like my mind is racing and I can only imagine what's going on inside of his. One question in particular keeps nagging at me and I finally build up the courage to ask it.

"Edward?"

"Mmm?" He answers.

"You're going to eventually talk to your mom again, right? You guys will get past this?" I ask, the darkness of his bedroom concealing my worried expression.

I wait a few minutes for his reply, feeling all the more scared with each second that he doesn't answer my question. I hate knowing that I'm the cause for this rift between him and his family but if he decides to cut them off completely I don't know how I'll be able to handle that. I don't want Edward to have to feel the pain of going through life without your family by your side and I don't want them to hate me for taking him away from them. I especially don't want our child to grow up with even less family than he or she already has. Even if Elizabeth dislikes me, she'd have to love this baby. It's her grandchild for crying out loud, her own family.

"No." Edward states with finality.

 **A/N - Well, there you have it. As always, please let me know what you guys think! I suck at replying to comments but I read and appreciate them all!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N -** ****TRIGGER WARNING**** **This chapter briefly deals with infertility.**

 **Chapter 6 – Celebration**

I wake up on Sunday after a restless night of sleep. Edward and I are quiet as we get ready for the day and sit down to eat breakfast together. Not being able to take the silence any longer but also not wanting to ignore the very obvious elephant in the room, I ask Edward if he's open to me setting up an appointment with Maggie for the two of us.

"Bell, there's no reason for us to go to counseling together. I'm cutting ties with my mom and that's it. There's nothing that I need to talk through." He tells me as he scoops another spoonful of cereal into his mouth. I can't help but cringe at how casually he's talking about cutting his mom out of his life – out of our baby's life.

"Well I'm not so sure it's just as easy for me. This is your _family_ , Edward!" I yell, standing up from my seat. "You've had them all your life so, I don't know, maybe it's easier for you to take them for granted but I know what it's like to not have a family and I will not let you or our baby go through that unless I know that you've really thought it all through." I huff, feeling slightly like a toddler throwing a tantrum as I fight the urge to stomp my foot on the ground. For his part, Edward looks shocked as well as a little amused. I narrow my eyes at him so that he knows I'm serious.

"Okay, okay. I can see that this is really bothering you. We'll go see Maggie together and we'll talk everything out there, alright, baby?"

"Alright." I confirm, slowly returning to my seat. We go back to eating our breakfast and make small talk about each of our plans for the day. Edward knows that I'll be volunteering to do story time for some local kids at Page Turner as I do that every Sunday. He tells me that he'll probably go play basketball at the gym with Jacob, Seth, and Jasper.

"No Emmett?" I ask.

"No, he and Rose are kind of going through some stuff right now." Edward sighs.

"Like what?"

"They've been trying to get pregnant for a while and they finally went and saw a fertility specialist. It turns out that Rosalie's infertile due to some issues with her fallopian tubes. It's really terrible and as you can imagine they're having a difficult time getting through it." He explains.

"Oh my God, that _is_ terrible. Poor Rose... poor Emmett. It's not like there's no hope though, right? They can use a surrogate or adopt." I suggest.

"That's another part of the problem. Rose flat out refuses to go with the surrogacy option. She feels like it would be too painful to watch this person carry and deliver her child. She really wants to adopt but Emmett is having trouble with the idea."

"Why?" I question, my voice sounding a little more defensive than I'd like. Edward studies my face, frowning, before answering.

"He thinks it'll be difficult to love a child that isn't biologically his."

"Oh." I say simply, looking down at my cereal. Obviously, I know this already. If most people didn't feel that way, then I probably wouldn't have had to grow up being shuffled around from home to home. It still sucks to know, especially when it's somebody that I know and that I consider a friend. I push the feeling aside though and remind myself that this isn't about me and I can't take it personally.

"Yeah, it's stupid." Edward waves his hand through the air.

"No, it's not. It sucks to hear for obvious reasons but I get it. Emmett has been picturing having a baby who looks like him and the woman that he loves. Of course it's going to be difficult to give up on that." I respond. Edward looks at me, half a smile plastered on his face. "What?"

"I just really admire the way you're able to separate your own feelings from a situation so that you can look at it objectively." He says and then pulls his eyebrows together as he appears to consider something. "Well, in this instance, that is."

"What does that mean?" I question. He gets up and places his bowl in the sink, rinsing it out and placing it in the dishwasher before walking back over to me and placing a soft kiss on the top of my head.

"It means we'll talk about it at our appointment with Maggie." He assures and then grabs his car keys and gestures for me to follow him. He drives me to my apartment so that I can feed Zafrina and get my car. We kiss goodbye as we head our separate ways; him to the gym and me to Page Turner.

I read a newly released, best-seller's children's book to a group of about ten kids and then guide them through an arts and crafts activity once I finish reading. James and Victoria Sullivan, the owners of the book store, hang up the paper plate pumpkins that the kids and I made in the front window of the store. I congratulate the kids on making great crafts and hand out a goodie bag of candy that I put together every week for them. Once the last of the kids leave I sit and chat with James and Victoria for a few minutes. They talk about how Elizabeth and Joseph, they're two kids, are getting to an age where they think they're too old to go trick or treating.

"No way, tell them to milk that for all it's worth! I _wish_ that I could go knocking on people's doors and get free candy." I laugh as James and Victoria join in.

"I know, that's exactly what I told them." Victoria nods.

"By the way, speaking of Halloween, what's the prize for best costume at the Halloween party you and Edward are throwing?" James asks.

"I'm pretty sure it's a goodie bag of alcohol and candy as well as a voucher that get's you a whole day of free drinks at Eclipse." I smile, wagging my eyebrows up and down.

"Wow, hopefully our Wilma and Fred costumes will be well received because that prize sounds amazing." Victoria says and then asks, "what are you dressing up as? Are you and Edward going to do a couple's costume, too?"

"I'm not sure yet, we're currently arguing over two different couple's costume ideas." I laugh through my nose.

"Well, you better figure it out soon. You've only got a week." James warns as my eyes widen.

"A week?" I repeat, thoroughly baffled and in denial at the idea that I lost that much track of time.

"Yeah... the party is on the 27th, right?" James asks and when I nod my head he continues, "then yup, a week."

Later on, as I pick Edward up from his apartment so that we can go to Esme and Carlisle's for dinner, I immediately vent my frustrations to him about us forgetting about the party next weekend.

"How could you let me forget? We still have no idea what we're going to be! And we still have to buy our costumes when we _do_ figure it out and you can bet that almost every store in a 20-mile radius will be sold out of all the good costumes!" I panic as Edward chuckles at my dramatics.

"Who cares? You can get free drinks at the bar whenever you want and I'll buy you a few bags of candy if that makes you feel better." He says, rolling his window down and sticking his arm outside of it.

"Edward, this isn't about the prize! I don't care about that. It's about making memories. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and when I look back at pictures from this party I do not want to look back and see us in some rinky-dink costumes that we got at the last minute because nothing else was in stock." I whine, propping my elbow up against my closed window and leaning my head against my hand.

"We'll go tomorrow after work and get our costumes at Halloween City just outside of town, alright?"

"What are we going to be, though?" I ask, remembering how hard he was fighting for Popeye and Olive Oil. I can see him looking at me with a smirk in my peripherals as he sings "Da Da Da Dum" and snaps his fingers twice. I squeal with excitement as he chuckles and gently squeezes my thigh.

We arrive at Esme and Carlisle's small brick house on the edge of town at exactly six o'clock. Esme comes waltzing out of the house in a dark red blouse which hugs her large breasts and tiny torso, a pair of skinny jeans, and high heels. Her caramel-colored hair is done up in a neat up-do and her lips are a bright shade of red. I have to admit, for 62 years old the woman looked incredible – I can only pray that I look that good when I'm that age.

"There's my lovely Bella! I feel like I haven't seen you in so long! And you," She turns to Edward, "I was beginning to think that you didn't like us anymore considering you haven't been over the last three Sunday's." She clucks her tongue and then leans in to hug the both of us in one large, group hug.

"Of course not, things have just been really busy at the bar lately. Although, if you guys would stop by some time you'd know that..." Edward hints, looking down at Esme with a large grin.

"Believe me, I'd love to go out for a night on the town. It's the old ball-and-chain that stops me from having a good time. He acts like he's the first person to turn 65!" She jokes and then escorts us inside. The second she opens them front door we're greeted with the most wonderful aroma from Carlisle's home made Alfredo sauce and garlic bread. I take a deep breath in and practically start salivating.

After greeting Carlisle and helping to set the table, we all sit down and dig in. Dinner is filled with conversation, the only lull being when we all have too much food in our mouths to speak without it being considered rude. They mention seeing me catch Max on the news and compliment me on being so brave. For my part, I blush and smile shyly, steering the conversation away from myself and to Edward's bar and how well that's going. I mention the Halloween party and confirm with them that they're definitely coming although they don't disclose their costumes to us, saying that it's a surprise. Once we all finish eating Esme and I clean up while Edward and Carlisle walk over to the living room and start up the fireplace. Esme and I return with a bottle of wine and four glasses. I take a seat next to Edward on one side of the couch as he rests his arm around my shoulders. Esme sits on the other end of the couch to be close to Carlisle who is sitting in a rocking chair a few inches away. They hold hands and share a loving smile before Esme turns to us and asks us if we'd like some wine.

"Before we get to that, Edward and I have something we'd like to share with you guys." I begin, smiling up at him and then back towards Esme and Carlisle.

"Share away." Carlisle smiles, opening his hands, palms up, in an inviting gesture.

"I'm pregnant. I'm sure it goes without saying that this isn't something we planned for but we're still excited all the same." I beam.

"Oh, sweetheart! That's wonderful news!" Esme jumps up from her side of the couch and hurries over to me to wrap me up in a warm hug. She squeezes tightly and whispers in my ear, "you'll make a wonderful mother." I can feel the tears springing into my eyes as I hug her back and thank her. She moves on to Edward, hugging and congratulating him as well. Carlisle also makes his way over to hug us, much slower than his wife. His smile is wide and genuine as he tells us how happy he is for the two of us.

Esme ends up opening the wine for her, Edward, and Carlisle, filling my glass with sparkling cider instead, even though I explain that my doctor told me a glass of wine won't do the baby any harm. She insists anyway and we toast our three glasses of red wine and one glass of sparkling cider in front of the fire.

"To family." Carlisle proposes. We clink our glasses together and then return to our seats, spending the rest of the night discussing baby items we'll need and names that we're considering, – which led to Edward and I realizing that there aren't many we can agree on. At around 10 o'clock I let out a yawn, prompting him to tell Esme and Carlisle that we should get going as we both have work tomorrow. They walk us to the door and hug us goodnight, telling us that they'll see us next week and to get home safe.

"I liked tonight." Edward says simply as he starts to back out of the driveway. I brush my fingers along his hand which is resting on the center console.

"Me, too." I smile.

On Wednesday evening Edward and I go to Rosalie and Emmett's house with a few of our other friends to tell them all the news about the baby. Edward told Rose and Emmett in private ahead of time so as not to be insensitive. They were both really kind and supportive and it was actually their idea to have everyone come over to their house for us to announce the news, as neither my nor Edward's apartment is large enough to host all of our friends. When we share the news Rose and Emmett act just as thrilled as all of our other friends but it doesn't escape my notice when Rosalie subtly dabs at her eyes, causing a wave of guilt to crash over me. When she comes over to congratulate me she wraps her arms around me and squeezes extra tight while whispering how happy she is for Edward and I.

Once everyone finishes congratulating us I steer the conversation towards Tia and Benjamin's upcoming wedding. They're planning on a small ceremony back in Florida where Tia is originally from. She discusses some family drama in regards to the wedding – her third cousin wasn't invited to the wedding and won't stop calling her about it – and then tells us about their honeymoon which they booked in Hawaii.

"Jacob and I honeymooned there, also! Which island?" Seth asks.

"Maui." Tia replies, dipping a chip into the bowl of salsa on the coffee table.

"That's going to be so fun!" Alice comments. "I'd love to honeymoon in Maui."

"You got to work on getting married first, honey." Rosalie teases, winking at Jasper who's blushing a bright shade of red next to Alice.

"So, uh, Tia, that cousin of yours sounds pretty crazy, huh?" Jasper stammers, looking intently at the floor like it has the meaning of life written on it. We all laugh at him before graciously changing the subject. The rest of the afternoon is filled with chatter and lots of laughter. At around 4 o'clock Edward and I head back to my place for the night.

When we get in, Edward heads for the couch and starts watching some documentary on Netflix. I start dinner, pork chops and baked asparagus, and bring two plates into the living room when I'm finished. I shoo Zafrina off of the couch so that I can sit down and we eat in comfortable silence as I look for something to watch on Netflix, eventually deciding on American Horror Story.

"Nothing makes me hungrier than gory, horror shows!" I exclaim cheerfully, taking a large bite out my pork chop. Edward chuckles and looks at me with a small smile.

"You're a freak."

"Yeah, but I'm your freak." I respond, leaning against him. He wraps an arm around me and pulls me closer against his side.

"Don't I know it." He smiles against my lips before leaning in to kiss me softly. When he pulls away we go back to eating and I find that I can't seem to get rid of the goofy grin on my face. Things haven't been perfect lately and there's still so much that we have to figure out but this moment, this little piece of happiness with the man that I love is enough right now.

 **A/N - Now everybody knows! Next week is the Halloween party :) As always, I appreciate everybody viewing/reading/favoriting/following/and reviewing! Please continue to leave me plenty of feedback 3**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N - Hey guys, I'm so so sorry that it took me this long to get this chapter up. My husband is in the military and just got back from a patrol so things have been a bit hectic around here. Hopefully this chapter is worth the wait! :)**

 **Chapter 7 –**

It's the Friday before our Halloween party at the bar tomorrow night and I'm spending the evening at my place with Alice and Angela while Edward's at work. We're lounging in my small living room with the TV on although none of us are really paying it much attention. I'm sitting cross-legged on the floor with Zafrina curled into my lap, Angela is sprawled out on my couch, and Alice is in the kitchen making a pitcher of virgin margaritas.

"So, Ang, you mentioned the other day that you're going to switch your major?" I ask.

"Yeah, I'm going to switch to computer science. It's something that I've had my eye on for a while but I was always afraid that it would be too difficult."

"What changed?"

"Me, I guess." She shrugs. "I gained a lot more confidence in the last year and realized that the only thing that's ever held me back is... me. So I said 'fuck it' and decided to go for it."

"Hell yeah. You're super smart _and_ hard-working. You can definitely handle this." I smile as I scratch behind Zafrina's ear. Alice strolls in with the large margarita pitcher and three glasses. "You know; you guys can put alcohol in your drinks if you want. I don't mind."

"No way. Solidarity, sister. If you can't drink for the next nine months than neither can we." Alice announces as she pours the icy drinks into our glasses. I look at her skeptically and she let's out a laugh as she sets the pitcher down on the coffee table. "Okay, we'll still drink but during our girl's nights when it's just the three of us we will remain completely sober." She explains, kissing my cheek and settling down on the floor next to me. Angela nods her head in agreement as she takes a sip from her glass. We spend the rest of our evening talking about work, Angela and Alice's classes, and the Halloween party tomorrow night. Neither one of them will tell me what their costumes are – much like most people who I've spoken to that are attending the party; apparently everyone is taking this contest very seriously – but unable to contain my excitement, I tell them Edward and I's costumes. Alice offers to come over early tomorrow before the party to help me get ready and I quickly accept as I'm terrible with make up and she's always been a pro with that stuff.

Around midnight I start to yawn and the other two laugh at me and make fun of the fact that now that I'm going to be a mom I'm too lame to stay up late. I roll my eyes and throw a pillow from the couch at Alice who is doing the bulk of the teasing. I escort the two of them out and then take out my phone to call Edward. I know that he's still at work so when he doesn't answer I'm not surprised. I leave him a lengthy voicemail, informing on how my night went with the girls, hoping that work is going well for him, rambling on about how excited I am for tomorrow, and finally telling him I love him and wishing him a good night.

"Ow, Alice!" I groan as she runs a brush roughly through my wavy hair.

"Beauty is pain, Bella." She responds in a matter of fact tone as she continues brushing the knots out of my wavy brown hair. I already put on my long, black dress and Alice finished doing my make-up a little while ago. Looking in my vanity mirror as she begins to straighten my hair, I'm still impressed with how she did my make-up for tonight. My face is painted in white foundation with my cheeks perfectly contoured, my eyes are shaded with a black, glitter eye shadow and she penciled in my usually thin eyebrows to make them appear darker and bolder. My lips are by far my favorite though as they are a dark red matte color (Alice calls it 'Blood Red') in the middle and then slowly blend darker and darker until they're completely black around the outsides. Alice is an absolute genius when it comes to this stuff and between my costume and the party at Eclipse tonight, I feel confident that this will be my most memorable Halloween yet.

Once Alice finishes straightening my hair she adds the finishing touch; temporary black spray-on hair dye. Smiling ear-to-ear I throw my arms around Alice's tiny little neck and squeeze her tight as I thank her. She laughs and tells me to head over to the bar now while she gets ready at my apartment. I leave my key and remind her to lock up on her way out as I head out. Less than ten minutes later, I'm walking into the bar, which is closed, to find Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, and Peter adding the finishing touches before the party.

The entire bar is transformed from the usual laid-back vibe that it gives off to a haunted house-esque one and I'm seriously impressed that we were all able to pull this off. Edward and I spent all night last night decorating tables with black cheesecloth, plastic cauldrons, crystal balls, plastic toy spiders, and gothic candelabra's. Along the walls we hung up signs that read "Keep Out" and "Caution: Ghosts May Be Lurking" as well as hung skeletons from the ceiling. We also strung up pumpkin-shaped string lights throughout the entire place and – one of my favorite parts – we splurged on a fog machine.

After taking a few seconds to take in how awesome Eclipse looks tonight I look over at Edward who's wearing a pin-striped black and white suit with a drawn-on-mustache and his usually messy hair slicked back. We make eye contact and he shoots me his crooked grin as I skip over to him and wrap my arms around him, holding him close before pulling back to take in the mustache and hairdo up close.

"Wow. You look great!" I smile. Holding me tight, he dips me and narrows his eyes at me.

"Cara Mia." He whispers before brushing his lips against me all too quickly and then lifting me back up so that I'm once again up right.

"Wow." I respond, unable to come up with anything else at the moment. I stare up at him lustfully but quickly recover as I remember that we aren't alone and we still have an entire party to get through tonight before we will be. I say hi to the others – Emmett and Rosalie are dressed as Danny and Sandy from Grease and Peter is a pirate, complete with a fake sword in one hand and a bottle of rum in the other. I help them set up, grabbing the bags of chips that Jude and I bought the other day and pouring them into the cauldrons on the tables. The bar has several bowls of drinks along it with orange and black solo cups this way everybody can serve themselves and no one has to work tonight. On the other end of the bar is a table set out with Halloween-themed dishes that a few of our friends put together like 'toxic waste mac & cheese' that Tia made which is just macaroni and cheese with green food dye in it and the 'roasted zombie eyeballs' that Jacob made that are just Swedish meatballs.

We finish decorating five minutes before party time. Emmett turns on the stereo and pops in one of the many Halloween CD's that I bought for tonight. The first song that comes on is Monster Mash and I squeal in excitement because it's my favorite Halloween song.

"Care to dance?" Emmett asks, extending his hand towards me.

"That depends, do you know how to waltz?" I retort.

"Uh, no." He answers with a confused expression. I laugh and grab his hand in mine.

"Me neither. Just wanted to stay in character."

"Oh God, we should definitely stay _out_ of character. I don't even want to try to dance like John Travolta. I'll make an idiot out of myself!" He guffaws, spinning me around. Edward announces that he's going to open the doors just as the song ends and This is Halloween from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" starts to play. Emmett and I continue to dance as people start to filter in, some joining us and some heading to the drinks at the bar. I eventually break away from Emmett and go to find Edward. On my way to look for him I run into Alice and Jasper.

"Oh my God! You guys look awesome!" I exclaim, looking them up and down. Alice is a 1920's flapper, her short black hair done in perfect finger waves with a beautiful, white rhinestone and feather headband, pearls hanging around her neck, and a sparkly black dress with fringes dangling around her mid-thighs. Meanwhile, next to her, Jasper has on a pair of pin-striped black and white pants with suspenders over his black button-up shirt, a black fedora, and a nerf gun.

"Why, thank you, darlin'" Jasper winks, tipping his hat at me. I take my phone out to snap a picture of the two of them and then turn to the rest of the party to capture some candid's of everyone else. I become so engrossed in taking pictures that I don't even notice Edward standing beside me until he wraps his arm around my waist, causing me to jump and drop my phone. He quickly catches it, dropping it into his pocket as he whisks me away to dance to (Don't Fear) The Reaper.

We dance to a few more songs together before taking a break and sitting down at one of the tables. I look around at everyone at the party and take in all of the costumes – people really went all out for this! I spot Carlisle and Esme who are dressed up as Fred and Wilma; James and Victoria who are dressed as werewolves; Angela who appears to be dressed as Rosie the Riveter; Tia and Benjamin who are Jasmin and Aladdin, and so many more awesome costumes that I eventually lose track. For the rest of the night we socialize with our friends and I take my phone back from Edward so that I can snap more pictures of everyone. Rosalie eventually steals my phone from me and points the camera side towards me, demanding that I actually get in some of the pictures as I look, in her words, drop-dead sexy.

Edward has a drink or two throughout the night but doesn't indulge too much as he feels like it's unfair since I can't drink. I tell him that I don't mind but he shrugs me off.

"Are you enjoying your night?" He wonders as we sit at the table eating our zombie eyeball-meatballs. I smile up at him and nod my head enthusiastically.

"I really am. I can't remember the last time I've had this much fun. We should definitely make this an annual thing!"

"Whatever makes you happy." He smiles, kissing me softly on my head. After a few minutes Rosalie gets up on top of the bar and calls for everybody's attention. All throughout the night we had a large box at the front of the bar with a pile of paper and pens next to it so that people could vote for their favorite costume – or costumes, as couples' costumes count as one – and insert it in the slot on the top of the box. Rose and Peter were tasked with sorting through the votes and now, standing on top of the bar with an envelope sticking out of her pocket, Rose is going to announce who the winner is.

"First off, you guys all really look awesome tonight! I did not think that everyone would get this into their costumes but you all really pulled through. To me, you guys are all winners –" she pauses as everyone let's out a loud 'Aw' and laughs. "Unfortunately, we only have one prize to give out tonight. So, without further ado, I will now announce the winner – or winners – of this lovely gift basket." Rosalie declares, gesturing towards the large plastic wrapped gift basket by her feet. She pulls the envelope out, opens it, and peeks at the paper inside of it before smiling widely and turning to Emmett. "Drum roll, please." Emmett immediately begins pounding his hands quickly against the bar top. "The winners of the first ever Eclipse Halloween Party are... Jacob and Seth!" She shouts as everyone claps and cheers.

I smile as I clap for the two, having voted for them myself. They're both wearing light brown bodysuits to blend in with their skin and they each have on fig leaves, a crown of leaves on their heads, and Seth is holding an apple. They're a spin on the traditional Adam and Eve – Adam and Steve – and rock the hell out of their costumes. When they get up to the front to grab their baskets I run up to get a picture of the two of them. Instead of smiling, Seth holds up the apple and they each lean forward to bite into it, posing like that for the picture. Everyone laughs while I take one more of the two smiling, promising to send them the pictures and congratulating them on winning.

Once Edward and I finish cleaning everything up and make our way into his apartment we both collapse onto his bed. I cuddle up close to him and rest my head on his chest where I can hear his heartbeat. We both rest like that for a moment and I'm just about to fall asleep when he speaks.

"I love you so much. Thank you." He runs his fingers through my hair.

"Thank you for what?"

"For being you. For coming into my life. For everything that you do. You're perfect for me, Bella. I can't even begin to tell you how lucky I feel that you're mine." He explains simply and I swear I can feel my heart melt. My eyes tear up – damn hormones! – and I wrap my arm tightly around his stomach, pressing myself closer to him. Within a few minutes I can hear his breathing slow as one loud snore escapes his lips. I giggle and move away to stretch out on the bed. I lay awake for a few moments, facing him.

"Thank you for keeping me." I whisper before I close my eyes and fall into a deep sleep.

It's Tuesday morning and both Edward and I took the morning off work so that we could go speak with Maggie, my therapist. There have been other times where I've asked Edward to come with me to see her, like when I was having trouble really committing to him. I wanted him to understand that it wasn't anything he was doing but rather that it was just about my own past. That took a few sessions for us to work through, with me crying through most of them and Edward – to my surprise – shedding a few tears of his own.

On the car ride to Maggie's office I start feeling nervous. This is the first time that we're going to go see Maggie together where Edward will be the one opening up instead of me. I look over at him from the passenger seat and wonder if he'll be able to let everything out during this session or if it will take him some time to sort through things. I'm sure that in the end he'll see that cutting off his family isn't the right choice and that it'll be better for us to find a way to deal with them rather than run away from the problem.

When we get to Maggie's office she offers us each a glass of water to which we both pass on but thank her all the same. There's a long gray couch with yellow throw pillows on one side of the room and a large, cream upholstered chair across from it. Edward and I take a seat on the couch as Maggie takes her usual seat on the chair and gathers some papers from previous visits. She quietly reviews them before looking up and making eye contact with me.

"How are you doing?" She smiles politely. I shift in my seat and reach for Edward's hand to hold on to as I take in a shaky breath. These sessions usually feel so natural and comfortable when they're about me but today I can't shake the anxiety that's coursing through me.

"I'm good." I assure, looking briefly up at Edward before returning my gaze to Maggie.

"The pregnancy is going smoothly?" She asks. I told Maggie about the baby when I called to make this appointment and she already congratulated me as well as promised that I can call her day or night if anything ever feels to stressful during this time.

"Yes. Well, sort of. The baby and I are both healthy which is the most important thing but..." I trail off, looking again towards Edward for some help. It almost feels wrong to speak about problems he's having with his family to somebody else, as if I'm betraying his trust somehow even though we both agreed to come here today to deal with this. Edward's eyes meet mine and he nods his head minutely, wordlessly understanding my dilemma.

"My mother didn't take the news well." He supplies.

"Ah, I see. Would you mind elaborating for me?" Maggie prods.

"When we told her the news she asked to speak to me privately where she encouraged me to get a paternity test –" Edward pauses, clenching his fist as Maggie's eyebrows raise slightly in shock. "and when I refused that she tried bribing me into walking out on Bella and our baby in favor of moving closer to home and pretty much starting a whole new life there. One that she thinks is more respectable." He ends, the disdain clear in his tone. Maggie scribbles away on her notepad before responding.

"How did this make you feel, Bella?" She asks, surprising me. I haven't really focused much on my own feelings in this situation as I've been more intent on making sure that Edward doesn't cut ties with his own mother over a ridiculous over reaction.

"Uh, I guess it made me feel scared."

"Scared?" Maggie wonders.

"Yeah, well after everything happened Edward's been talking about cutting his mom out of his life – out of our lives – and our baby's life and I'm just afraid of a future where Edward and our baby won't have a family. I know how had that can be and I wouldn't wish that on anybody, least of all the two people that I love most in this world." I say, my voice cracking at the end. Tears pool in my eyes but I take a deep breath and collect myself. I can feel Edward looking down at me but I don't meet his stare as I know that will destroy what little resolve I have in me.

"I think you're deflecting, Bella." Maggie observes. I look up at her, confusion plastered across my face. "You're focusing solely on Edward not losing his mom rather than on the actual damage that she's already done. She's hurt the both of you and that requires consequences. I'm not saying that cutting her out of your lives is necessarily the right choice but I do believe that a break from her is absolutely warranted. I also think that if Edward ever does decide to repair the relationship his mother needs to give you both a real apology in which she admits her own wrong doing and accepts all of the blame. You can't rug sweep the problem and assume everything will work out."

"I don't want to repair the relationship." Edward starts. "We haven't been on good terms for a long time now and this was the last straw for me."

"The things that your mother said really hurt you, didn't they?" Maggie infers.

"They did. Bella means so much to me and for anyone to blatantly have such little respect for her makes me want nothing to do with them. Especially with a child on the way. What kind of example does that set for our baby? That it's okay to treat people that way?" He asks rhetorically. Maggie nods her head, scribbles on her pad, and then looks back up at me.

"Do you have anything to add, Bella?"

"I just think that it's better for our baby to have an imperfect grandmother in his or her life than no grandmother at all."

"Can I ask you a question?" Maggie inquires, folding her hands in her lap. I nod my head. "You've told me before that you have quite a few memories with your mother, yes?" Again, I nod my head. "Would you say that you cared about her and respected her?"

"Of course." I insist.

"How do you think it would've felt to witness someone else close to you, let's say your father, talk down to her, disrespect her, insult her?"

"It would have upset me. I'd probably want to protect her but I'd also feel torn because I loved and cared for my father just as much."

"Would you say that that would be a fair position for you to be in?" She speculates and I sigh and shake my head no. "A lot of people feel the way that you do about cutting out a family member. They believe that it's better to have them around, no matter how toxic they are, than to cut them out altogether. However, especially with a child involved, that isn't healthy. Bella, do you know what parental alienation is?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Parental alienation is when somebody manipulates a child into fearing, disrespecting, or showing hostility towards their parent. It is absolutely a form of abuse and, though it's typically seen in cases of divorce, it can be done by any adult in your child's life. If you allow somebody into this baby's life who shows open contempt and disrespect for you it will teach him or her that that is okay for you to be treated that way. In addition, you can bet that anybody who treats you that way isn't above trying to turn your child against you." Maggie concludes, her expression completely serious.

My head's been spinning ever since she uttered the word 'abuse' and now I find myself evaluating everything that she just told me. In my head I see a future where Dorothy is making snide comments at me in front of my child as his or her brain, like a sponge, absorbs every last word. I see Dorothy slandering my name, my reputation, everything about me, to my own child who will trust her because I've assured him or her that they can. I shudder as these scenarios fly through my mind and jump when I feel Edward's fingers brush against my arm to pull me back to reality.

"I obviously don't want that for my child but... I can't help but feel like if I support Edward in this that I'm making him choose between me or his family." I admit quietly, feeling torn. I understand better now why he's so willing to cut Dorothy out but I'm also afraid that by agreeing to this I'm essentially ripping his family away form him, something he may resent me for one day if he regrets this decision.

"You're not making me choose, Bella. This is _my_ decision. I promised you that I'd always be here to protect you and this baby and that doesn't just mean physically or financially; that means emotionally as well." Edward assures, looking down at me intensely with those bright green eyes of his. Maggie nods her head in agreement with him.

"Edward is an adult who can make his own decisions in regards to his own family. Being a good partner is accepting those decisions and supporting them." She concludes, shooting me a small smile. I look down at my feet, my left on tapping incessantly against the floor. I can see now that, at least for this moment in time, Edward no longer wishes to continue having any kind of relationship with his mom so why would I push that on him? Because of my own issues with abandonment and my own fears of not wanting the same type of lonely life for him or for our baby? I have to accept that my circumstances were completely different than Edward's and that the situations just aren't comparable. My parents were kind and respectful to me and they were taken from me against my will. Edward's relationship with his parents, his mom in particular, was always strained and he's choosing to remove himself from his family. For me to try to force him to stay close to somebody that doesn't respect me – and by extension doesn't respect him as he's choosing to be with me – would be would not only be damaging for him and self sabotaging for me but it would also be harmful to our child.

Looking back up into his eyes which are already trained on me I resolve to let go of all doubt and hesitation and to remain firmly at this man's side, trusting his decision.

 **A/N - Hope you guys enjoyed! Please leave lots of reviews and let me know what you think! I'll try to start posting more frequently again!**


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